A Grain of Salt: The Science and Pseudoscience of What We Eat

Schwarcz (A Feast of Science), a radio show host and science writer, spools out answers to mostly basic questions about diet and nutrition. In a quippy writing style, he evaluates the pros and cons of various practices—for example, eating beef—and offers such solutions as, in the case of whether to consume beef, choosing beans, nuts, algae, or even insects as alternative protein sources. Other topics he covers include the dangers of weight-loss supplements, the risks of eating poppy seeds, the cold-fighting properties of vitamin C, the ambiguity of the “organic” label, and the debate around sugar’s healthiness. There is no logical grouping or flow to the chapters, and the text can be repetitive, such as about the marketing hype around antioxidants or, perhaps surprisingly, the dangers of eating cantaloupes. Some of the subjects, such as the possibility of being poisoned from drinking a Moscow mule from a copper mug, or the “gustatory calamity” of wheatgrass enzyme juice, veer into the strange or comic—and in general, the more unlikely the topic, the more farcical Schwarcz’s tone becomes. Readers hoping for light laughs should enjoy this book, though perhaps not those seeking a comprehensive health resource. Agent: Robert Lecker, Robert Lecker Agency. (Oct.)