Who among us has not heard, or even told someone, "all that processed food is poison". We say it confidently but do we have any clue why that might be? I know I've repeated it without question. And that's what lead me to this book. Zaidan breaks down the chemistry of our "natural" foods and of the ultra-processed types, of sun screen and spray tans, and all the other products we use regularly. He's attempting to understand how they work and what other affects they might have on the body (not to mention pointing out the flaws in the studies that have lead to the conclusions we repeat). And this is no off the cuff exploration. There's enough chemistry in the writing that I found myself floundering at times. Even so, it's worth the effort for the truly curious among us.

George Zaidan is a science communicator who has created National Geographic's web series 'Ingredients: The Stuff Inside Your Stuff.' This is his first book and it's chockfull of information, covering what's in everything from vaping to sunscreen to ultra-processed foods. It is written in a jokey style but with a firm footing in science and chemistry.

I came to this book looking for some concrete advice on what ingredients to avoid in processed foods to maintain good health. This really wasn't that kind of book. He spends a good deal of time discussing the pitfalls of test trials and health statistics, how the best advice today may be disputed tomorrow. The take away? No one really knows for sure how bad junk food is for humans.

Some encouraging findings:

"People who did 3.5 hours or more per week of 'moderate or vigorous physical activity' lived roughly eight years longer than those who did no exercise at all, but even as little as 0.1 to 0.9 hours per week gave you an expected survival boost of five years."

"If you compare people in the absolute worst groups in every lifestyle choice [those who are obese, drink, smoke, eat little in the way of fruits and veggies] to those in the absolute best [those who maintain a healthy weight, exercise and eat well], the life expectancy difference is about twenty years! And remember, that's at age fifty. So it's the difference between living to ninety-four or seventy-four."

However:

In a randomized control study, it was estimated that the cost of a 2,000 calorie diet "was about $15 for ultra-processed food vs $22 for minimally processed food. That's a difference of about $2500 per person per year. If you've got a family of four, that's ten grand a year. So for many Americans cutting out ultra-processed food is not a choice; it's a luxury."

BUT I did not see a study that analyzed how much could be saved in health care costs and medications if one maintains a healthy lifestyle and avoids eating ultra-processed foods. That would be interesting, useful data.

I really wanted to like this book when i requested it but it wasn't very entertaining. I found it being written in a very scientific way and I never enjoyed chemistry very much. Some people might find it great but it was just too "heavy" for me,

4.5 on the blog because, oof... some of his humor is off the charts cheesy and ended up being annoying.

This book is brilliant!

Gwyneth Paltrow: Natural things are good for you.

Me after reading this book: Cyanide is natural

I really enjoyed reading this book and found the subject fascinating I hope to read more from the author .

While I was fascinated by the subject matter in this unique and original book, the experience fell down a little bit at the execution. I didn't care for, nor was I gripped by, the writer's style or voice, but the information contained within was still supremely interesting. Just not delivered in the most interesting way.

This book makes the science behind food science so much more accessible to non-scientists. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, which is not something I'd say about a textbook with similar information. This was very well done, interesting, and honestly, a little terrifying.

I'm going to have to DNF this one. Although I feel like a lot of the information just went over my head, it will probably be a huge hit for some readers. I just left the book feeling like I learned absolutely nothing new, unfortunately. I really had high hopes for this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book very interesting. While the primary focus is.on the chemistry of foods and products, what I found the most fascinating was the focus.on peer reviewed studies. A lot of information was provide that would allow the reader.to determine the credibility of the studies that they read. People often dismiss studies about nutrition because of seemingly conflicting data. Zaidan provides the lens to review these studies to determine their accuracy.

The Margot Affair, a debut novel from French-Japanese author, Sanaë Lemoine, is told from the perspective of seventeen-year-old Margot, a secret love child between a stage actress and a prominent politician. Living in Paris with her mother, only a few people in their inner circle know of this affair and Margot’s father’s true identity.

Like all teens, Margot is grappling with identity issues and testing the boundaries of who she is. But unlike other teens, her mere existence seems to be a test in itself. A test of her parents relationship, a test of her father’s morality. And finally, a test of her own volition. This pure yearning for recognition from her father and longing to belong lead her down a path of questionable choices that ultimately unravel the lives of the people closest to her.

The writing is gorgeous. Her descriptions are vivid and the lack of quotation marks allow the reader to immerse themselves into the thoughts of the characters. There is a bit of a lull in the first half where I was struggling a bit to get through. But, the pace picks back up halfway as consequences to Margot’s actions silently erupt. Reading from Margot’s perspective was interesting, especially since she seemed a bit too introspective and self-aware for her age at times. That might possibly be why she didn’t seem relatable. But, she felt authentic in both her naïveté and how it ultimately affected the choices she made. Lemoine explores the confines of the teenage psyche and how one’s innocence or ignorance could lead to destructive yet inevitable outcomes. Lemoine’s excellent writing resulted in a penetrating and addictive story, one that will stick with you.

I appreciated this book a lot as the author does a great job of explaining the science behind food. I think everyone should read this and be more cautious about what we put in our bodies and on our bodies as we don’t tend to pay attention to those items any,ore. Great educational read.

Written in a fast-moving and humorous style, this book, written by a chemist, examines all the foods and products that we humans either ingest, inhale or put on our skin...also covering GMOs, sports, and so much more. Wonderful read.

A book that informs a book that makes you laugh combines to make an excellent read.Science written in a style I could easily understand an explanation of the ingredients that goo into the food we then ingest.#netgalley#duttonbooks

For someone who barely passed AP Chemistry in high school (my teacher was an alum of the college I got into, and his supportive "YOU got in there?" will never be forgotten), I am fascinated by science. I may not understand much of it, but I sure love to read about it and watch programs and films about it.

So I feel like I'm George Zaidan's perfect audience. To say his book enraptured me is to vastly understate the circumstances.

For one thing, I love Zaidan's constant references to Cheetohs because COME ON! Cheetohs are a fabulous food product! And for another, Zaidan's chemical equations actually make sense. Where were you, George Zaidan, when I needed you in Mr. Casey's class?

Zaidan helps me better understand sunscreen. Do you need it? Yes. Should you wear it? Not quite so simple. He also takes a deep dive into processed food, explaining its realities in a way that doesn't just make sense but helps me feel better about what I eat.

I highlighted so much of this book that my Kindle copy looks more pink than black and white, and I gave copies to my children.

Thank you, George Zaidan, for writing this book. I am your biggest fan, even though you are about 40 years too late to help me with AP Chemistry.

After struggling through this book, looking at his silly drawings and putting up with his snarky comments and reading far too many irrelevant footnotes -- what did I learn? Nothing. I didn't learn much about ingredients, I had to wade through far too much math in order to learn that headlines about medical papers are not accurate (surprise, surprise). Perhaps I'm more skeptical and informed than most, but this book ewas a waste of time.

I didn't know what to expect going into this. I was expecting a more serious dive into the concept of food science. I think I actually liked this more than I would have liked the book I expected to read, but it's important to acknowledge how present the author's voice is. If you don't like his writing/sense of humor/style, you will probably hate this book. I came around to it and ended up enjoying myself.

The cover art alone clued me in that George Zaidan's book Ingredients would be an entertaining approach to science.

I must confess, I did not do well in high school chemistry. The class met at 2 pm in the afternoon; the classroom was too warm, the subject too dry, and I was not the only student who dozed off. Mr. Heald would kick the metal trash can to wake us up.

Zaidan is a 'science communicator' who understands people like me and knows how to make chemistry understandable. He draws pictures and diagrams and talks us through. He is our personal decoder, translating the language of scientific research into English "as accurately and entertainingly as possible."

In the Preface, Zaidan admits that his readings surprised him.

Facts are shifty things. Because science, we learn, is not exact. There are so many ways to set up and twist results, so many variables, that we can't trust all the trial results that we read about.

You know the ones I am talking about. Wait five minutes and you will hear a study from Podunk U that reverses yesterday's study from Wossamotta U.

Caffeine is good for you, caffeine is bad for you. Eggs are good sources of nutrition, eggs are bad for your heart. Butter is bad for you, butter is better than margarine, olive oil is better than anything and its used in the Mediterranean Diet which will extend your life.

Life's big questions are the center of Zaidan's quest for knowledge:

How much life does every additional Cheeto suck from your body?
Are e-cigarettes really a healthier choice?
Is coffee the elixir of life of blood of the devil?
Does chlorine create that public pool smell?
Does sunscreen absorb photons like Whitney Houston's bodyguard absorbs bullets in The Bodyguard?
Should we pay attention to newspaper headlines about food and health
How can I add three years to my life expectancy
Does prayer reduce the risk of death?

His conclusions are not as conclusive as we would like. The biggies are still there: Don't smoke. Be active. Eat reasonably well.

I appreciated how Zaidan broke down the way tests and studies are carried out. It was the most interesting aspect of the book for me.

I was given a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Ingredients.

I'm not a big reader of non-fiction, but I'm intrigued by books with a health and wellness premise, especially when it concerns the foods we eat.

The author writes with a humorous, jocular tone about some very serious topics, including if the foods we eat, good or bad, have a long lasting impact on our health.

Some of the details went over my head, the chemistry part, the science-y vernacular, all that I skipped. Honestly, I think the author could have summarized those paragraphs in a better way, in layman's terms, for the average reader to understand. I'm not stupid, but at times I wondered if the author was purposely writing this way to demonstrate how smart he was.

When I read a book about health and wellness, I expect a decent takeaway, even if its advice I already know: don't smoke, don't drink and drive, don't invite a bull to a tea party in a china shop.

Then, at the end of the author's summaries of all of his research and work, he tells the readers that most studies undertaken by scientists are biased, that you can't believe everything you read, and that since we're all gonna die anyway, then just do what you want.

What?

Then, what was the whole point of the book? Why write Ingredients at all if nothing matters?

I enjoyed parts of the books, but the ending made me think of a past dining experience at a good restaurant;, the appetizers and main dish were great, but the dessert was terrible. The finale sucked. And now when I think about that restaurant, all I can remember is how dessert was disappointing, which kind of ruined the meal for me.

That's how I felt about Ingredients.

The book was interesting, but the ending left much to be desired.

This was a lot of fun. I didn’t realize it was to be a farce. Somehow I thought there would be serious information involved, just written in a light manner. I expected to learn something – anything – about the subject of chemical additives.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Group Dutton, in exchange for an honest review.

I have read similar books on the importance of eating unprocessed food. But the perspective of this book was from a chemist who took a deep look into what is considered "organic" or "unprocessed" and if all the advice that it is given to consumers is accurate and/or correct. Some of this was quite grim but also a wakeup call to live healthier and be healthier. Having reading labels that have ingredients that are pronounceable is important, but it is also about what you put in your body overtime as well. I liked how the author discussed many case studies and broke them all down to explain the purpose of each of them in context to this book.

This is definitely one of the better books about unprocessed food as a topic and lifestyle. I will definitely be recommending this book to the other health nuts in my family. Plus I will be buying this book in hardcover when it is published.

Thanks to Netgalley, George Zaidan, and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.