The Angry Chef: Bad Science and the Truth About Healthy Eating: Warner, Anthony: 9781786072160: Amazon.com: Books

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The Angry Chef: Bad Science and the Truth About Healthy Eating Paperback – October 10, 2017

by Anthony Warner (Author)

(4.3) 447 ratings

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"The popular understanding of nutrition is clouded by superstitions, primitive intuitions, conspiracy theories, and old wives' tales. This irreverent and intelligent expose brings sanity and good sense to one of life's great pleasures." ―Steven Pinker, author of Angels of Our Better Nature

Never before have we had so much information available to us about food and health. There’s GAPS, paleo, detox, gluten-free, alkaline, the sugar conspiracy, clean eating... Unfortunately, a lot of it is not only wrong but actually harmful. So why do so many of us believe this bad science?

Assembling a crack team of psychiatrists, behavioural economists, food scientists and dietitians, the Angry Chef unravels the mystery of why sensible, intelligent people are so easily taken in by the latest food fads, making brief detours for an expletive-laden rant. At the end of it all you’ll have the tools to spot pseudoscience for yourself and the Angry Chef will be off for a nice cup of tea – and it will have two sugars in it, thank you very much.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Oneworld Publications
Publication date

October 10, 2017
Dimensions

5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

1786072165
ISBN-13

978-1786072160
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"One by one Warner demolishes popular food myths…this [is] a book that will allow you to enjoy food with less guilt; it might even save lives."
-- The Guardian

“This is an impassioned debunking of the pseudoscience and feelings of guilt and shame that drive the diet industry in its current form.... As a restaurant critic, qualified chef and greedy person, I found the book fascinating ... a thoughtful, forensically researched and referenced work on healthy eating and, more importantly, it’s entertaining.”
-- The Evening Standard (UK)

"It's easy to see why he’s so angry [as he describes what fad diets do to vulnerable people]. Warner’s analyses are clever and original, digging deep, and avoiding easy conclusions … This is an important book, and a good one.”
--The Spectator

“Warner’s history of quackery is riveting [and] the chapter on clean eating, and the part it has played in fueling anorexia ... is particularly persuasive.”
--The Sunday Times

"A terrific and, sad to say, much needed book: both heartfelt and thoughtful, often funny and, above all, utterly convincing."
-- The Daily Telegraph

"Warner’s dismantling of the faddists’ fads, their gullibility and idiocy is precise, witty and more humane than I can find it in myself to be.’"
-- Literary Review (UK)

"If The Angry Chef is as good in the kitchen as he is on the page, I’ll have whatever he’s cooking."
-- The Daily Telegraph

"In a Red Sea of bullshit, Angry Chef is the modern-day Moses and his gospel is worth learning by heart."
--The Pool (UK)

Review

"In this brilliant book, The Angry Chef systematically demolishes every single piece of food-related faddery, hack, science, nutritional fakery and clean-eating cobblers in a manner that should make every so-called 'wellness' and 'nutrition' guru hang their heads in shame." ―Jay Rayner, journalist and broadcaster

"A wonderfully bracing and funny tired against the harm and nonsense done by food fads. If you've ever been tempted to go on 'a detox' or try 'clean eating,' you need this book. Yes, Angry Chef is angry, but he is also trying to get us back to the point beyond the crazy 'superfoods' and guilt where eating is actually a joy." ―Bee Wilson, author of This is Not a Diet Book and First Bite

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oneworld Publications; 1st edition (October 10, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1786072165
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1786072160
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #815,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #879 in Self-Help for Eating Disorders & Body Image Issues (Books)
- #3,476 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)
- #5,414 in Other Diet Books

Customer Reviews:
(4.3) 447 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

447 global ratings

5 star		55%
4 star		28%
3 star		9%
2 star		4%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Food pseudoscience is rage-inducing and I'm glad I'm not the only one who's angry

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 19, 2017

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I hate pseudoscience, and I really really hate it when people act like any specific food, or specific diet, will cure diseases. Warner discusses a lot of this dangerous nonsense, and I'm glad he's angry about it. If you've ever had to hold your tongue around family/friends who talk about food like it's a miracle cure, you just might like this book.

I'm docking a star for all the vegan hate, though. Anyone who acts like a diet will fix their life needs a serious dose of science and I know some vegans fit into that category. I follow a vegan diet, but I make a point of getting my protein (and other nutrients). I think as with a lot of communities, the loudest (most annoying, most scientifically illiterate, most voodoo--foodoo?--believing) vegans are the ones that get the attention. So I don't think this is the author's fault, since he's just dispelling garbage people believe about food, but every time veganism came up I thought "here we go again".

But, back to the book: please read this, no matter what diet you follow. And remember, food isn't magic. Cleanses are BS. Kale doesn't cure cancer. Paleo, vegan, and keto diets aren't the answer for anything besides "how am I going to eat today?".

5 people found this helpful

Worthwhile and informative

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 13, 2017

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This book ticked a lot of boxes for me. My work is related to science and I have interests in health nutrition and exercise / well being. I read quite a lot about exercise but find it can be difficult to find reliable sources of information about food - there always seem to be a lot of agendas and information is not always so clear cut. I bought this book following its recommendation in the 2017 summer reading list of the Financial Times.

This book outlines a number of different diets, restrictions or rules, many of which I'd never really explicitly heard of, but components of I'd begun to hear about from social media or friends. For instance, gluten free diets, coconut oil. I'd heard of these but wasn't aware that they formed part of wider diet "systems", for wont of a better word.

Warner dissects and analyses the claims of a number of these diets against the scientific method or prior scientific analyses. I hasten to add that this is done in a lighthearted and easy to read manner, that often includes profanities. At first I wasn't sure what to make of such language, but it is his style and he is deservedly angry at the misplaced information that is floating around.

I think that if the book was just dedicated solely to the rebuttal of each diet it would grow a bit tiresome, so for me the major strength is how it relates diet fads to the nature of science, and how the way science is performed, with its inherent skepticism, makes it ill suited to rebuff the claims of pseudoscientific dietary advice. This creates opportunities for charlatans and other misguided people to step into the vacuum with erorreous advice, sometimes with depressing or tragic consequences. His book also relates more generally to the place of science and experts in society and what this means in the age of self reinforcing social media streams and search engines.

I gave the book five stars because it met my demand for this kind of information. I also greatly appreciated that he linked these trends to wider discussions of the nature of science and its place in society.

9 people found this helpful

Full of valuable information and insight, but not as entertaining as I had expected.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 5, 2018

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Books, like music, are subjective, so I've learned to shy away from reviewing either; however, I've enjoyed reading The Angry Chef's blog, and figured I'd enjoy this book as well. It's definitely well-written and informative; however, I was expecting to find it more entertaining, but found it more educational. Not a bad thing, but there are only about a million other books that deal with fad diets and the like. I still love his outlook and the fact he skewers trendy, stupid fad diets and their sponsors (somehow I don't think he and Gwyneth Paltrow are drinking buddies). But if you're looking at this book as entertaining 'toilet reading', I can only tell you that for me it was a bit too dry.

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

A needed book debunking the food nuts

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 19, 2017

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The Angry Chef is a needed counterpoint to all the craziness that exists in the realm of good and dietary habits. I've often been amazed at the number of otherwise intelligent people caught up in self congratulatory world of gluten free this or organic that. Some of the anecdotes are frightening in how potentially devastating they can be to one's health and hour self-delusional people and practitioners are. I only wish there was information on how to combat the self righteous detoxers and kale kommandos.

Amazon Customer

Extremely compelling, well written , witty and moving.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

Perhaps most important indicator of the credibility of Mr. Warner's argument for me was the complete lack of feeling that any opinion was being forcefully pushed onto me (something I absolutely loathe).

And even though this wasn't the book's primary intention, it has a great potential to help thousands of people all over the world who are struggling with mental illnesses and - yes, this will sound dramatic but it's something I firmly believe - even save lives.

2 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 5, 2017

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This is a fun rant which makes some good points about food fashions. The editing could have been tighter, and fructose got off relatively lightly (but that's my personal thing).

A balanced approach to diets and assessments thereof, can be read in the article by Sir John McMichael, in BMJ 1979, 1, 173 - 175. And wilbraham and Drummond's 1994 book is a great read, especially for those with a sense of deja vu.

3 people found this helpful

Mark Castellano

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 24, 2017

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For anyone interested in science, food, or both. Then this book is absolutely for you.

Provides an inspiring outlook on today's plethora of culinary views and advice. Encouraging, engaging, and down right fun to read!

I wish more writers had the light heartedness and passion that this book genuinely captures.

One person found this helpful

Great book -antidote to all the pseudo-science wackos out there-

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 27, 2017

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I loved this book. I loathe the pseudo-science blogger celebrities, who peddle the unscientific crap that people actually heed. As someone who tries to live (mostly) moderately - at least, in eating, exercise, and spending - this book totally ticked all my boxes.

One person found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

JTGloucester

A must read for anyone involved in producing, processing or eating food and drink.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 10, 2017

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I work in food and drink; I produce food and drink and I advise others on it. This book should be prescribed reading. It is engaging, funny, fact filled and very thought provoking. It tackles the fad diets, food gurus and common place misconceptions head on with either facts, some select stats or the pure logic of a well constructed argument. it uses and supports the argument for science both as a tool for making choices as well as a method for sorting the information around food and drink. But, it does it in a funny, sweary (at times) but entertaining way. I polished this off in a weekend, it is genuinely one of those books you cannot put down. The Angry Chef is a voice for reason and pluralism in a mad world of food and drink. I just hope Gwyneth gets a copy!

21 people found this helpful

Stuart Parkinson, Eliffile

The angry chef should just calm down

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 28, 2019

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I made it half way through this book mostly because I hate not finishing things that I’ve started (like my dinner). But I really can’t take it any longer. This alkali diet he screams about angrily - I never heard of it before now.

There is just far too much noise in this book, and not enough signal. Actually it is like watching most cookery shows nowadays, which is to say more about the drama itself than the cooking.

If you want to weigh less, just eat less, and keep track of the bottom line (ie how much you weigh). And be determined about it. If you don’t like the taste of food with less sugar or less fat in it, just try to make adjustments one by one to your diet, rather than all at once. Your tastebuds have a terrible memory, thankfully.

9 people found this helpful

Clogs

Excellent debunking!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 21, 2017

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This is a definite 'must read' for anyone wondering at the plethora of conflicting diets currently on offer, many of them endorsed by celebrities. The Angry Chef provides, not just an overview of the pseudoscience behind the gloss, but the history of the beliefs that created the pseudoscience we see all around today and not just in the food sector. There's even an easy explanation about statistics, risk and the stupidity (literally) of sensational journalism.
I was most intrigued by his fad exclusivity hypothesis: I was aware, as I'm sure we all are, that different social classes eat different basic diets, but the political link had escaped me. It references ancient civilisations to set the reader thinking on wider, current issues.
There are several websites, books and articles referenced in the text which provide a solid background for the author's message. Sadly, however, Amazon's link-sell engine recommended a book about a diet he had spoken against...

9 people found this helpful

Twiglet Harrison

Overall I recommend this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

Very interesting read, with clear pseudoscience-busting evidence. The anger directed at Gwyneth Paltrow in particular seems a tad disproportionate given how many other celebrities - including one well photographed doctor - push, support and otherwise condone dodgy diets in a bid to 'get healthy' (lose weight). There is a slight cognitive dissonance caused by the stark difference between how the author describes obesity (international threat to health) throughout the book, and the final conclusion that healthy eating is far more important than following a dodgy diet to lose weight, given that we don't yet know how to achieve long-term weight loss. Considering the colourful way in which the author writes it is possible that the hyperbole describing obesity is irony, but that doesn't come across well.

Overall I recommend this book, particularly if you are considering embarking on one of the many diets that incorporate expensive 'superfoods', or involves excluding whole food groups.

7 people found this helpful

Philip Jones

I realised I was angry too

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

Bought following a newspaper review. I have had a senior management career in the food industry and understand the rubbish about diet that gets pumped out by trade organisations marketeers and food faddists. The non-science based beliefs which influence governments are truly shocking and I believe dietary advice over the last 60 years has led to unbalanced diets and resultant obesity. The angry chef has pointedly focussed on diets and dieting in a readable and entertaining way. Everybody who blindly follows dietary advice, particularly that of celebrities, should read this book, think and rebalance their food intake

7 people found this helpful

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