cover image Comp Eaters Digest

Comp Eaters Digest

Michael F. Jacobson. Anchor Books, $11.95 (392pp) ISBN 978-0-385-18245-4

Written by the director of the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, this bookprobably one of the best researched and least dogmatic works on nutritionis a revised and updated compilation of two classics that together reportedly sold more than 380,000 copies. The part comprising The Complete Eater's Digest discusses fats, carbohydrates and the like and their effect on one's health and is distinguished by its in-depth treatment of some 100 commonly used food additives, from acesulfame-K to xylitol. Similarly, the section based on Nutrition Scoreboard offers a clear system for rating the nutritive value of most foods from burgers to bean curds. This is a book that should find a place on the shelf in every concerned household. January