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Gary Paul Nabhan
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Why Some Like It Hot: Food, Genes, and Cultural Diversity Paperback – June 7, 2006

by Gary Paul Nabhan (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 30 ratings
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In Why Some Like It Hot, an award-winning natural historian takes us on a culinary odyssey to solve the puzzles posed by "the ghosts of evolution" hidden within every culture and its traditional cuisine. As we travel with Nabhan from Java and Bali to Crete and Sardinia, to Hawaii and Mexico, we learn how various ethnic cuisines formerly protected their traditional consumers from both infectious and nutrition-related diseases. We also bear witness to the tragic consequences of the loss of traditional foods, from adult-onset diabetes running rampant among 100 million indigenous peoples to the historic rise in heart disease among individuals of northern European descent.
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  1. Print length
    244 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Island Press
  4. Publication date
    June 7, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1597260916
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1597260916
  8. See all details
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4.4 out of 5 stars
30 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book readable and well-edited. They appreciate the author's knowledge and presentation of information in a readable format. The content is interesting and they enjoy reading it. Overall, customers consider the book worthwhile to read.

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ReadableContentEnjoyment
4 customers mention "Readable"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and well-written. They say the author is knowledgeable and presents information in a readable format.

"...The author is knowledgeable and presents the information in a readable format...." Read more

"Well written, but outdated scholarship...." Read more

"The book is worth getting and reading, but it's hardly a book...." Read more

"Great Read!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Content"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the content interesting. However, some reviewers mention issues with the writing and editing. The information is presented well, mentioning that DNA can influence food preferences.

"Loved the way the information was presented. DNA matters and it can influence the food we like. Oh no - I can see it now...." Read more

"This book is absolutely fascinating! Granted that I don't know much about genetics, it was still easy enough to follow along...." Read more

"Interesting material but poorly written and edited..." Read more

3 customers mention "Enjoyment"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They say it's worth getting and reading.

"...The Eat Right for your DNA diet. Lord help us. This book is great." Read more

"My wife is thoroughly enjoying this book." Read more

"The book is worth getting and reading, but it's hardly a book...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Grandma
    5.0 out of 5 stars At last, a refutation of one size fits all diets
    Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    All I can say is that the people who gave this a low rating must have had some issue they were pushing. Obviously, this info is a nail in the coffin of the "this diet works for everyone" groups. This is not a book knocking down straw men at all, though he does that as well. The author is knowledgeable and presents the information in a readable format. Unless you are the proponent of a particular diet or have the IQ of a rock, this book ought to appeal to you if you are interested in how and why foods and even medicines interact in certain ways with your body. It is readable, and well edited despite reviews to the contrary. I seriously wonder if some of the reviews were written by competitors who have written diet books! I am also seriously tired of people giving ones and twos to great books like this because they don't agree with evolution or can't understand the science involved. If you have an objection like that, then obviously the book was not your cup of tea. Please go review something that is. This is a great breakthrough in the way we look at food and it deserves a fair hearing
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow - a lot of information!!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Loved the way the information was presented. DNA matters and it can influence the food we like. Oh no - I can see it now. The Eat Right for your DNA diet. Lord help us. This book is great.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • TheMarylandMyth
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This book is absolutely fascinating! Granted that I don't know much about genetics, it was still easy enough to follow along.

    This book has made me a true believer that there exists an unbelievably complex relationship between the diets of our ancestors, the regions where they came from, the various diseases endemic to those regions, and our individual genetic nuances. We've underestimated the effects the diets of our ancestors as well the diseases they suffered from have had on our genes.

    I only wish Nabhan talked more about the relationship between genetics and diet in African populations. If Africa is the birthplace of mankind, there must be some interesting finds there.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Idigbones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Gary Nabhan explains why no one diet is going to work for everyone. This Norwegian-Cuban reviewer now understands her near addiction to milk, butter and cheese, as well as her love for hot, spicy, flavorful food. (Married to a super-taster, she also recommends "food" as an extremely important topic to include in premarital counseling. Or, reading this book for those who've already wed their food opposites.)
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    My wife is thoroughly enjoying this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • K G R
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting material but poorly written and edited
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    This book presents an interesting hypothesis, i.e. that our genetics have been affected by the food we and our ancestors ate, and vice-versa. What could have been a fascinating read turned into a boring series of anecdotes and random statistics. Seemingly random ethnic groups (apparently the ones the author is familiar with or chose for whatever reason to investigate) are discussed and shown to have unusual consequences from food consumption. This book needed to be edited and material reorganized.
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Lisa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! But yes, we need more
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2010
    I thought this book was great! It really fills in some gaps and makes a lot of sense in understanding the picture of how food, genetics, history, etc. work together; and how so many of the discusions of "what to eat" are impossible to answer in general. This book reorganized my thinking and has given me a new angle on the complexity of our food relationships.

    From a practical standpoint I'd love to know more, to be able to assess what my boring European ancestry means for me personally... But it's much easier to suggest solutions for problems (such as the issues of the Pima and Hawaiians) than figure out recommendations for ethnic groups without specific problems in common. But I hope they (the various newly named cross-discipline fields) take these concepts further and expand on it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Burgundy Damsel
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Information, Fair Presentation
    Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2014
    There was a lot to love about this book - concepts not commonly discussed elsewhere, personal stories that set the information in context, and solid take-aways. (Key among them being that there is no single "perfect" diet - each of us has different genes and lives in a different environment, and that genuinely makes a difference.) I enjoyed reading about the interaction of food, genes, behavior, and place from the author's unique perspective, and appreciated that the material was entirely unique. When you read a lot of food books, they can start to overlap significantly; this book was entirely on its own course, which was refreshing.

    I must concede, however, that some other reviewers have made very valid points. The book could have used a little more clear intentionality in moving between topics and examples. It was very much written to be accessible and not a difficult read, and in some places that priority made it come across as less well researched or hard-hitting than it might have been. I also wish a little more time/attention had been spent on the reality (and its implications) that so many Americans are "mutts" - we don't have a distinct cultural heritage to look to for clues about our gene/food interactions.

    All things considered, I definitely recommend this book. It isn't long, or difficult to get through, but it will definitely provide readers with a fresh perspective on the intersection of a variety of fascinating fields and provide some beneficial insight on why specialty diets are almost never going to work for you.
    One person found this helpful
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