DNF @ 44%

You ever read something and you just know the person writing it is some smug, older white guy, who is reviewing what he wrote with a satisfied cheshire grin? "Yes, yes. I am very smart."

Too opaque for the general layman. Too much of an aggressive hit piece from a guy expressing his victim complex for anyone within the industry. Too triggering with questionable biomarker references for anyone struggling to learn more about nutrition to help restrictive eating disorders. Who is this book even for, aside from this guy's ego?

It's capitalism. Just say it's capitalism. It's not individuals within the system that want you silenced, Mr. Lustig. Or some grand conspiracy. Capitalism and the commoditificaton of food is the problem.

If you want nutrition advice, read Pollan. If you want politics and the why, read Marion Nestle and Michael Moss. Leave this one on the shelf.

I missed books like this in my formative years, having jumped straight to high fantasy in second grade and never branching out much in my extracurricular reading (only to Greek mythos and such later on). It's unfortunate because books like this absolutely have their place. As a kiddo that struggled with suicidal ideation from the age of 11, I think this book would have hit a younger me exactly where I needed, in a way that was more real than escaping through fantasy. It has The Alchemist vibes but in a way that doesn't feel like a log upside the head.

A lovely dark fairy tale, predictable in that way that fairy tales are. I'm glad it didn't go all in on the darkness though and there was room for some good feelings.

I'll be borrowing this version of wandering forests for my druid/fae- heavy DnD campaign, which is absolutely a compliment