Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food

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Not Just for Kids...

Chew on this worth reading....if

Chew on This, A Review

You Won't Look at Fast Food the Same Way Again

Read This!

Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food
Eric Schlosser , and Charles Wilson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Fast Food Nation

Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World

Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America

What to Eat

The Fast Food Craze: Wreaking Havoc on Our Bodies and Our Animals

ASIN: 0618710310

Book Description

Kids love fast food. And the fast food industry definitely loves kids. It couldn't survive without them. Did you know that the biggest toy company in the world is McDonald's? It's true. In fact, one out of every three toys given to a child in the United States each year is from a fast food restaurant. Not only has fast food reached into the toy industry, it's moving into our schools. One out of every five public schools in the United States now serves brand name fast food. But do kids know what they're eating? Where do fast food hamburgers come from? And what makes those fries taste so good? When Eric Schlosser's best-selling book, Fast Food Nation, was published for adults in 2001, many called for his groundbreaking insight to be shared with young people. Now Schlosser, along with co-writer Charles Wilson, has investigated the subject further, uncovering new facts children need to know. In Chew On This, they share with kids the fascinating and sometimes frightening truth about what lurks between those sesame seed buns, what a chicken "nugget" really is, and how the fast food industry has been feeding off children for generations. Featuring cover art by M. Wartella.

Customer Reviews:

Not Just for Kids..........2007-09-30

I picked up this book because I wanted to get Schlosser's information without wading through his voluminous Fast Food Nation. While targeted at a younger audience, Chew on This has enough information to be an informative read for adults.

Conspiracy theorists will want to gloss over the section about the virtues of labor unions, the use of satellite imagery to locate future restaurants, and the multimillion dollar ad campaigns that target children. Schlosser does have an axe to grind. But as he points out: eating habits have changed more in the last 30 years than they have in the last 30,000 years. The chicken nugget has only existed since 1983.

I must be jaded because I didn't find the information that shocking. Fast food is, well...fast food!; a snack on the run, not dinner with the kids. And yes they are run by billion-dollar coroporations; not mom and pop businesses.

Why do the fries taste so good? They contain beef fat. What happens when you drink 25 colas a week? Your teeth fall out. What happens when fast food is served in public high schools? 40% of the student body is classifed as overweight. What happens to an obese, inactive, 16-year old teenager who eats 2 Big Macs for lunch everyday? He suffers a heart attack.

A recommended entertaining, quick read.

Chew on this worth reading....if.......2007-09-11

Chew on this is worth reading if only to learn a bit about the fast food industry. I skipped the chapter on beef, as I don't eat beef anyhow. The book didn't make me give up going out all together, but it did make me selective. I no longer go to the big chains. As with any book of this type, there are counter accounts to what it has to say. Believe what you want. I believe the book a bit more than the corporations.

Chew on This, A Review.......2007-09-09

When summer comes I like to pluck a few books off my shelf and read them. One of them with a review. Some parts have been excluded for some other reasons:

My choice; Chew on This, the Eric Schlosser book that talks about fast food. Reading it made me thank my mother (as preposterous as it seems) for never taking me to one of those places. The facts made my stomach forget it was hungry and my gag reflex to kick in. Horrific statements such as what makes the drinks pink (did I mention I hate bugs?) and the ingredients in the milk shakes that I could barely comprehend, much less pronounce. The author's purpose, I think was to educate people about fast food. I did like the part when he talked about a school in California that cooked their own food from vegetables in their garden. I found the people fighting against fast food industries commendable for their work and I liked to hear their stories.

You Won't Look at Fast Food the Same Way Again.......2007-09-07

Did you know that if you take the 13 million hamburgers that Americans eat every year and put them in a straight line, they could circle the earth more than 32 times?

Did you know that chickens are sometimes thrown against walls as a form of slaughter?

Startling facts such as these appear in "Chew on This," which weaves historical summaries, shocking statistics, and moving profiles of teens whose lives have been tainted by the fast food industry.

The authors reveal facts that big businesses will not, such as what makes fast food manufacturing methods so unhealthy, how fast food workers are taken advantage of, and how shifty advertising techniques are used to tempt kids to eat junk food.

After reading "Chew on This," you won't look at fast food the same way again. Some of you may even decide to boycott these businesses.

Read This!.......2007-07-05

The fast food companies target your children with their advertising, so why not give your child the opportunity to hear the other side of the story. And when your teen is finished reading the book, you should take the opportunity to read it as well.

Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson make some excellent points about the fast food industry and how they have built customer loyalty through appealing to what children want. If children endlessly beg their parents to go to these fast food places, parents will give in. Fast food industries have built a bazillion dollar industry by brainwashing your child. Take your kid back! (And while you're at it, you can eat healthier too.)

My 13 year old recently read this book. She was horrified to know what kind of conditions the animals live in before they are slaughtered for your "Happy Meal." She read with disgust about the crushed insects that make your drink pink. After reading this book, she has become much more health conscious, and I don't hear a single request to eat at a fast food restaurant.

Then, I read the book. I was additionally horrified to learn about the conditions workers in third world countries endure while producing those cheap plastic toys for spoiled American children. I was also disheartened by the way the fast food industry weilds power in schools by funding badly needed school programs while monopolizing food choices within schools. Schools are caught in a Catch 22 of sorts as they decide whether or not to serve unhealthy cheeseburgers and fries for lunch, or give up programs that benefit children. Schools shouldn't have to choose between those things. At the end of the book, the authors point out that we can help our children to have better choices. Schools in Berkeley, CA have school gardens and suppliers of organic foods. The children learn to garden and cook their own meals. I wish my daughter's school did this.

In my opinion, our nation of spoiled children want toys with their food, and play places where they can play instead of eat their food. (If you could call a cheeseburger, fries and soda "food.")

And, while kids play with cheap plastic toys (for about 15 minutes and then never again) and jump around in filthy ball pits, adults sit at the tables eating the unwanted kids meal along with the Big Mac they already ate. No wonder people are putting on the pounds.

We can all benefit from reading books like this and educating ourselves on the real harm being done in this country by overly processed, trans fat laden "fast food." Make a better choice for yourself and your children. This book will inspire you.

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food (First Time Books(R))

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Little one loves this book
A classic, even if you like junk food
better teachers than i am...
Good Book
Great teaching book for all libraries!

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food (First Time Books(R))
Stan Berenstain , and Jan Berenstain
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394872177
Release Date: 1985-03-12

Book Description

Mama Bear lays down the law when she notices that Papa and the cubs are getting too chubby. With the help of Dr. Grizzly's slide show on how the body works, the Bear family makes a healthful adjustment in their diet and fitness habits. "A most enjoyable introduction to good nutrition and exercise."--(starred) Science Books & Films.

Customer Reviews:

Little one loves this book.......2007-07-15

I am not a huge fan of this book, but my daughter LOVES it, so I am giving it 5 stars. She refused to try a sticky bun tonight because 'it's junk food', so I appreciate that (we mostly eat healthy around here). I just hope that she never points at anyone out in public and says something like "they eat way too much junk food".

A classic, even if you like junk food.......2007-01-24

I buy this book for all the little people in my life, after growing up loving it myself. It's a Berenstain Bears book, so it needs little introduction on its moral qualities and instruction. But it's a good book that offers a balanced look on... eating balanced.

But I especially enjoy the illustrations of the junk food. They're up there with Hooper Humperdinck - Not Him!

better teachers than i am..........2007-01-19

l bought these books to give to my little nephew for christmas. we are now well grown out of berenstein bears' books, but my children and i remember them well! the kids loved them because, among other things, they were a longish and satisfying read with mom or dad, not a quickie, but a book with a real story, particularly effective for delaying bedtime with a long book. all the books teach and some of the lessons still echo down the years. 'messy build-up' has kept the kids' rooms fairly tidy for years. manners? well, manners pave the way in life like few other things and are so critically important. junk food? there's an important message to teach about junk food and we needed all the help we could get with reinforcing it. we have a foot high stack of the berenstein books upstairs, carefully tucked away for the next generation. it is such a pleasure to buy them and give them as truly valuable gifts.

Good Book .......2006-11-15

This is a good book. It teaches that eating junk food just makes a person chubby and isn't providing any nutrients the body needs. However, when Mamma Bear hides the food in the freezer, that isn't a good idea especially since she tells them. A kid could just go there and grab the treats. Further, denying kids treats totally is not a good idea either. Better is to let them have one treat a day or every other day then to totally not let them have any at all. Then when they do get treats like on Halloween, Christmas, and Easter, they will binge on them. Also the part about the bears all running all the way home is too farfetched. The home is far away and if they have not been exercising as they should have been then that jog is too much to take at that time for them. They should work their way up first so they don't get sore muscles.

Great teaching book for all libraries!.......2005-12-29

This is a cute book even without a message attached to it and it makes my little one laugh every time we read it. Dealing with eating too much candy and junk food is the subject and it starts with mama seeing that her cubs were eating all the time and getting quite chubby. So, after running into the family doctor at the grocery store, the bear family gets to see a slide show on the body and how it works. Plus, they learn the importance of eating good food and not the junk. The best part is something that all of us have difficulty doing. Mama bear throws out all the junk food in the house (actually, she puts it in the freezer) and provides only healthy snacks like carrot sticks, nuts and raisins. We've even tried this and believe me, it works. There's now a preference over candy for nuts and raisins (especially the yogurt ones!) and candy, well, it's just not that prevalent anymore. I highly recommend this one - it will stick with your children for life.

Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America

Average customer rating:

Wow! This is a great book!
Very Educational, and Very Funny.
Ugh! I'm lovin' it
Look Out Mickey-Ds!
Talk About Muckraking!

Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America
Morgan Spurlock
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425210235

Book Description

The nauseating truth from the producer, director, and guinea pig of the Academy Award-nominated documentary Super Size Me.

Just when you figured it was safe to scarf fries again comes the factpacked and funny new alarm bell from the man whose month-long McDonald's diet became the subject of an Oscar-nominated, box-office-bonanza documentary. Here Morgan Spurlock examines everything from school lunch programs and the marketing of fast food to the decline of physical education. He looks at why fast food is so tasty, cheap, and ultimately seductive-and interviews everyone from surgeons general and kids to marketing gurus and lawmakers, who share their research and opinions on what we can do to offset a health crisis of supersized proportions.

Customer Reviews:

Wow! This is a great book!.......2007-08-20

Morgan Spurlock is either a very good, honest, wholeheartedly courageous man, or he's just another fraud. I'd like to believe he is not the latter, because I'm so used to frauds nowadays. If anything, his book is nothing short of a masterpiece. That may seem rather dramatic a thing to say, but I truly think this book is one of THE most important books ever to be written in the history of modern mankind. Anyone who can argue with its points has to be evil in some ways; you just cannot justify all of these big companies who are influencing our nation (and children) to eat junky food without being evil. You also cannot justify the cruel "farming" or meat industries without having a touch of badness to you. As for the writing itself, Spurlock has a gift for words and sometimes occasional humour that is refreshing. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Very Educational, and Very Funny........2007-07-26

In the summer of 1970, my doctor said I was overweight and needed to lose about 30 pounds. I was 35 and weighed 195. He prescribed diet pills to curb my appetite. It worked. In two months I was down 30 pounds, and the diet pills were a fun experience. Of course, when I went off the pills and back to my normal lifestyle my weight went right back up. At that point, I became interested in nutrition and fitness and started reading books along those lines. Adelle Davis and Carlton Fredericks pop into my mind. There were others. Later, I read "The Fat of the Land" by Michael Fumento. I had developed a taste for books that muckraked through the American way of life, particularly that part which centers on food, nutrition and physical fitness. It's been a worthwhile education.

A couple years ago, I greatly enjoyed Morgan Spurlock's wonderful documentary movie/DVD "Supersize Me." It should be required viewing for all Americans. Then about a month ago, while browsing through the bargain bins of a large bookstore, I stumbled upon Spurlock's "Don't Eat This Book" for only $5.98. It's well worth it at twice the price. I bought it in an instant. This book, of course, is the companion to the "Supersize Me" movie/DVD.

All of the books or DVDs say about the same thing, but they say it in very different ways. Americans eat too much and they don't get enough exercise. Thus 2/3 of Americans are significantly overweight and the problem is getting worse every decade. Just look around you. In addition, the typical American diet is overloaded in fats, sugars. salt and deficient in fiber, whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyone seems to know this but solving the problem is another matter. Morgan Spurlock dips his oar into the murky water. I don't know that he sets forth anything that's new and startling, but he comes across as an excellent spokesman and provides information of which every American should be aware.

It's a good book. It's well written. He has good knowledge of nutrition. Plus, he's very funny while being deadly serious. The book is very entertaining at the same time as very educational. It's an unusaul combination. Spurlock takes on "big food," "fast food," congress, the USDA, the FDA and a host of other organizations that tend to rule our lives in one way or another. Read his account and then think about what he says. It may change your lifestyle for the better. Then read it again and again over the years just to maintain your lifestyle in a reasonible direction.

As a major part of the movie/book, Spurlock spent a month eating at the "Golden Arches." Every meal. If anyone suggested supersizing, he went along. Then he and a group of doctors/nutritionists chronicled what happened to him over that month. If you eat in any fast-food restaurants, or any restaurants for that matter you should read this account. It's eye opening, plus it's funny. Mickey D comes in for most of the pointed criticism, but the same thing could be applied to all. Personally, I think he came down a little too hard on Subway. After all, if you're knowledgeable you can get a perfectly acceptable meal there. Plus, it you really have to have a hamburger now and then he could have mentioned that In-and-Out makes theirs out of all fresh ingredients. But he was an easterner, and that's mostly in California.

Ugh! I'm lovin' it.......2007-07-13

This book is entertaining and informative. If you enjoyed Supersize Me the movie, you'll be equally satisfied by Don't Eat this Book. It goes into gory detail on Spurlock's 30 day McDonald's binge, and includes a wealth of other information such as -

- the often creepy workings of the food industry and its lobbyists
- disturbing trends in eating habits, both in the US and internationally
- the obesity epidemic, most importantly the danger to children
- the incredibly pervasive influence of McDonald's on global eating habits and nutrition

I listened to Don't Eat the Book unabridged on audio, narrated by the author. Spurlock is incredibly funny in his tone, inflections and enthusiasm. He's the perfect reader for this material, bringing it to life in a way that underscores the serious danger of consuming too much fast food, while being upbeat and entertaining.

Look Out Mickey-Ds!.......2007-03-22

There was in recent years an attempt by some obese people to take McDonalds to court, along with Burger King, Wendy's, and many other fast food establishments. So in stepped "Big Brother", in this case our government to put a stopto this foolishness. The result the McDonalds law.

I am not sticking up for McDonalds, or any other fast food joint, but I do say that I believe it to be the basic responsibility of us as consumers to know what we are putting in our mouths, and what if anything said effects will results. There is no gun at our heads, but it has been reported some additives are placed in these fast foods to cause addiction. The biggest of these is "High Fructose Corn Syrup", which hides in everything from soft drinks, to ice cream, and because of the way this substance is processed, has become a number one cause of diabetes.

When they say "Have It Your Way", that is a death bell ringing loud, and clear. Obesity is out of hand, and food producers are railing aganist "Eat Less Exercise More". The deadly combination of white bread, and deep fried foods, fried by the way in "Hydrogenated Vegetable Grease", is a Cardiologist dream, because he/she can now buy that new Benz he/she has been eyeballing. Then there is the international 4 billion dollar a day 'diabetes industry', and wow.

First we go to Mickey-Ds, and then the doctor's office, and then the graveyard. How's that?

These companies have only one intent, their bottom line, no concern for you or your family. Seems we as individuals care little about our own well being, because few of us have taken the time to educate themselves. What this dead food is doing to our health, and just how much the existance of these fast food joints is costing our society as a whole. Instead of cheers when the report came out that Russia and China had opened fast food outlets in their nations, we should have been shedding tears.

This book is a good place to start to educate one's self, and how to improve the quality of one's life. Too many of us take for granted nursing homes must be in our futures, as a fact of life. Truth is we through our own actions, or inaction write that ticket. The information exists, we need to look for this life extention knowledge. Not to say we will live to be 100, but even when we do age, there can be quality to life in general.

Many facts exist here, and many lies in the media are passed on, and few of us question the print ads, or the commericals on TV and radio. Question everything the media presents, and read books such as the one here, there is a lot from both sides of the fence, and one side has never met a lie it would not tell on behalf of the bottom line.

This is a revealing book to say the least, and too many fast food outlets are selling death on a bun. If you have children, first read, and then share this book with your children. Help them to make good choices when it comes to food.

Talk About Muckraking!.......2007-02-04

A tragic-comic and enlightening account of the making of the filmmaker-author's McDonalds restaurant marathon, during which he ate every meal for a month at the fast-food giant, with deleterious health results. This grisly read inspired my husband to try to replicate the never-decaying cheeseburger experiment, which Spurlock describes in the book (a cheeseburger left on a high shelf will simply dessicate, not rot, because it is so full of chemicals). Baskin-Robbins' heir John Robbins wrote a similarly eye-opening, stomach-churning book "Diet for a New America", which throws bright light onto the corporatization of mega-farm, mega-food practices. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

One Two Three
The funest book in a long time, Great Pictures!
WOW!
He Loves It
Excellent

The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763613827
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Book Description

"FROG BELLY . . . plants the idea that with some strategy, good communication and goodwill, you can grow wonderful things." —PORTLAND PRESS HERALD

"Frog Belly Rat Bone,
one, two, three . . .
the specks in the earth
are protected by me.
You must be patient and
then you will see. . . ."

Once upon a time, in a dull, gray endless place called Cementland,
there lived a very special boy who wished to find a treasure. After much searching among piles of greasy toaster ovens and wet smelly socks, he
spies a box filled with specks and a wrinkled note that says, "Put these
wondrous riches in the earth and enjoy." Horrified to learn that thieves
are after his treasure, the boy scrounges the junkyard and conjures a creature to stand guard - a scarecrowlike gardener with crooked bony arms, a giant belly, a jaunty crown, and preternatural wisdom: Frog Belly Rat Bone, king and protector of the specks.

With subtle, delicate tones, fantastical figures, and bursts of glowing color, the surreal artwork and hand-lettered text of Tim Ering’s picture book debut exude all the whimsy of an inspired imagination - and the wonders of a natural world that awaits discovery, even in Cementland.

Included with each book: a whimsical full-color bookmark offering a
behind-the-scenes glimpse at the artist, his technique - and his inspiration!

Customer Reviews:

One Two Three.......2007-04-26

This book is terrific. My 5 and 3 year old children equally love it. They like the transformation of Cementland, they enjoy the little thieves and laugh at the ingredients that make up Frog Belly Rat Bone. My kids will repeat the Frog Belly Rat Bone chant as well. Great job!

The funest book in a long time, Great Pictures!.......2007-01-04

I had heard of this book from a friend, and thank goodness I did. The book is not only fun for my almost 5 year old, but is fun for an adult too. The story line flows for easy reading with funny parts, and lessens to be learned. Take time to look at each drawing, every time you look you see something new. As a parent I always look for books with a good vocabulary and this book meets that and then some. I give Frog bell rat bone 5 Stars. It is truly one of the wondrous riches to our book collection.
Connie

WOW!.......2006-08-30

Absolutely amazing in its story and creativity. My girls love this book. We ordered this for the local library so everyone could enjoy. My three year old has really bonded with frog belly and chants the funny saying. This is a simple but beautiful story.

He Loves It.......2006-04-12

I picked this up one day when I was wasting time at a book store purely because I thought it looked interesting. When I got it home I stuck it on the shelf and completly forgot about it. Then one day my three year old found it, and asked me to read it to him. That was about 3 months ago and we've read it almost every night. It's gotten to the point that I'll screw up the story just so my son can correct me. He's memorized every word.
The story is fun, in an odd way, and the illustrations are a welcome break from the sickingly saccharine illustrations most children's books are saturated with.
I wish Mr. Ering would publish another story soon, I'm getting tired of reading this book over and over...of course my son doesn't seem like he will ever tire of it.

Excellent.......2005-09-14

The artwork is incomparable. Really, that alone is reason enough to buy the book. It's not your typical cutesie kids' book pictures, but something much more. I pulled out my newly arrived copy to show my sister, who paints (and sells) some pieces in a local gallery, and she paged through it again and again. The artwork has that much depth. And the story is very good too, making the book well worth buying. I'm sure I'll be back to look for more from this author/illustrator.

Fun With Recycling: 50 Great Things for Kids to Make from Junk (Fun With)

Average customer rating:

Fun With Recycling: 50 Great Things for Kids to Make from Junk (Fun With)
Marion Elliot
Manufacturer: Southwater
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Crafts & Hobbies | Arts & Music | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1842154087

Book Description

Children will revel in the exciting and colorful activities in this series.

Spam Kings: The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements

Average customer rating:

excellent book on spam
It's A Dirty World
too long, not enough technical detail
Left Me Feeling Covered In Ick
It's a sleazy world

Spam Kings: The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements
Brian S. McWilliams
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0596007329

Book Description

More than sixty percent of today's email traffic is spam, according to email filtering firm Brightmail. This year alone, five trillion spam messages will clog Internet users in-boxes, costing society an estimated $10-billion in lost productivity, filtering software, and other expenses. Spam Kings: The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements is the first book to expose the shadowy world of the people responsible for the junk email problem. Author and veteran investigative journalist Brian S. McWilliams delivers a compelling account of the cat-and-mouse game played by spam entrepreneurs in search of easy fortunes and those who are trying to stop them. Spam Kings chronicles the evolution of Davis Wolfgang Hawke, a notorious neo-Nazi leader (Jewish-born) who got into junk email in 1999. Using Hawke as a case study, Spam Kings traces the twenty-year-old neophyte's rise in the spam trade to his emergence as a major player in the lucrative penis pill market--a business that would eventually make him a millionaire and the target of lawsuits from AOL and others. Spam Kings also tells the parallel story of Susan Gunn, a computer novice in California who is reluctantly drawn into the spam wars and eventually joins a group of anti-spam activists. Her volunteer sleuth work puts her on a collision course with Hawke and other spammers, who try to wreak revenge on the antis. You'll also meet other cyber-vigilantes who have taken up the fight against spammers as well as the cast of quirky characters who comprise Hawke's business associates. The book sheds light on the technical sleight-of-hand--forged headers, open relays, harvesting tools, and bulletproof hosting--and other sleazy business practices that spammers use; the work of top anti-spam attorneys; the surprising new partnership developing between spammers and computer hackers; and the rise of a new breed of computer viruses designed to turn the PCs of innocent bystanders into secret spam factories.

Customer Reviews:

excellent book on spam.......2006-06-14

This book is a page turner. The book provides a fast-paced account of spammers and spam fighters, their business practices and respective struggles online and offline. I had picked up the book, simply because I was curious about the motivations of spammers and often wondered: What kind of a person is a spammer and who would respond to those emails and actually buy from them anyway? This book can be an eye-opener and I certainly learned a lot from it. Fun side note: A lot of supporting material is available online, as the spam wars are being fought mostly online. Chances are, you'll find yourself browsing news groups and forums to research and find out more about the various people being discussed in the book. The author also provides a blog where he discusses spam and other topics close to his book.

It's A Dirty World.......2005-09-15

After reading this book I felt the need to take a shower.

The world of spam isn't for those who don't want to get their hands dirty... really dirty.

A unique look at the world of spamming, Brian McWilliams outlines what the life of a spammer is like, profiling a handful of spam magnates from the early 2000s (the book focuses on the years 2000-2004 when this was published), and the individuals that work on stopping them from achieving their #1 priority, separating you from YOUR money.

When you read 'Spam Kings' you will discover the lifestyle of a spammer and how/why so many e-mails get into your inbox every day promoting anything from viagra to pirated software and anything else inbetween. You will learn about why when you click the 'From' part of an e-mail you are not able to always determine where this message originated from, and how so many messages (hint: we're talking more than just millions) get delivered in such a little amount of time.

Before reading this book I had a general idea of the type of person that would send spam - what they might look like, how they act, the software used to push so many messages out, but what I was ignorant of was the type and amount of people out there fighting the flow of spam from getting into users email accounts. As much as there is a sect of individuals trying to get spam moved to your inbox, there is another group trying to get this email to never grace your eyes. Anti-spammers (as they are called) frequent discussion groups, contact spammers on their own, and manage lists that are used to make sure that ISPs don't allow spammers to even reach you as hard as they might try.

Brian McWilliams covers a lot of ground in this book, and it's a fascinating look at the underground world of spam. Whether you are a major or minor part of the computer world, this analysis is well worth a look to discover more about why there are so many spammers out there in cyberspace and why many of them are filthy rich.

The only complaint I might have with this book is it seems a bit too long (even at 333 pages) and the author bounces all over the place when he discusses different spammers throughout the book. I understand that he is trying to give many examples and track spammers movements all along the same timelines throughout the book, but it seemed a little too jumpy at times. Not enough so that a reader couldn't follow what was going on, but if a case study approach (chapter by chapter analysis of different spammers) was used instead, this might have been the better approach.

Still, an enlightening read and well worth the time to pick up.

**** RECOMMENDED

too long, not enough technical detail.......2005-09-06

Maybe I am being unkind with 3 stars. The prose style is good. The author has done plenty of research into the background of the spammers and anti-spammers and the book is an intereesting read.
At 300 pages (excluding intro, glossary, notes, index) it is too long. It could usefully have been trimmed to 200 pages.
Anyone wanting nitty-gritty technical detail is out of luck. There is almost none. [I suspect Inside the Spam Cartel is better from that point of view, but I have only glanced at it so far.]
The book is also unbalanced. Yes, spammers are awful. They make email hard to use (one of my email addresses is widely publicised and as a result I get over 100 spam/day, sometimes rising to two or three times that). They have almost wrecked a direct marketing tool that could have benefited consumers and producers alike. But civilised societies do not support lynch mobs etc, and if you read the book carefully, the anti-spammers often seem to break as many laws as the spammers (in a good cause, of course). I was reminded sometimes of the animal rights protesters in the UK (except that the anti-spammers have not physically attacked people or property).
Part of the problem is that the lawmakers seem to be technically inept - CAN-SPAM is not an inspiring achievement.

Left Me Feeling Covered In Ick.......2005-07-22

This is the story of spammers, and those who despise them, the anti-spammers. Basically the spammers do as they please (spam, do Joe-jobs, etc.)and enjoy their money and their power to annoy and frustrate, while the anti-spammers spend hours on-line in efforts to out the identity of the spammers. All this is good of the anti-spammers, of course if the government would get it together we wouldn't have to worry about this problem...or if people weren't so stupid as to order the stuff spammers offer.

Unfortunately, I could not muster any interest in either the spammers or anti-spammers. The spammers were, as the author stated, "arrogant" and "psychopaths," and the anti-spammers seemed quite pitiful - all wrapped up in their very time-consuming on-line battles with the disgusting spammers.

This book left me feeling as though I had eavesdropped for months on people I couldn't care less about. And although the author describes in detail the various activities that spammers engage in, it offers no help to the decent among us who would like to protect themselves from their cruel onslaught.

It's a sleazy world.......2005-06-24

This is about the personal lives, and the trials and tribulations of spammers and spam fighters. A more motley crew of miscreants and their enemies would be hard to imagine.

Sickie number one would be Davis Wolfgang Hawke (aka "Bo Decker," "Michael Girdley," etc.) one-time founder and leader of his self-styled Neo-Nazi group, the Knights of Freedom. He got started in Web hustling by selling knives and Nazi paraphernalia on Ebay. When it was discovered that his birth name was Andrew Britt Greenbaum and that his father was Jewish, he quite naturally lost a lot of cache with his Neo-Nazi followers, and so he closed down his storm trooper Website and turned to spam. He discovered that he had a natural talent for writing the sort of copy that sells sex pheromones, pyramid schemes, porn, and other spam "products," and before he knew it he was hiding stashes of hundred-dollar bills all over his various digs and the nearby countryside.

Sickie number two would be Brad Bournival, Hawke's geeky chess-playing protege who made a million dollars spamming penis enlargements pills and such. Other sickies include big-timer Scott Richter of OptInRealBig who followed 9/11 and the anthrax attacks with flag and gas mask spamming, a kind of low-life huckster with a genius for turning public events into personal wealth. Also mentionable is the really sad Thomas Cowles who hustled mass mailing software but got thrown in jail for criminal contempt of court after allegedly stealing some computer equipment from South Florida spam king Eddy Marin.

The white hats include Susan "Shiksaa" Gunn, Piers "Mad Pierre" Forrest, Francis Uy, Pete Wellborn, Steve Linford and others, many of whom frequented the antispam Web newsgroup Nanae. Compromised and perhaps characteristic of a third category of spam-world denizens would be Karen Hoffman, one-time spam fighter who crossed over to the dark side to work for spammers.

What is really amazing is just how readable this book is. McWilliams has the narrative talent of a novelist, and the investigative skills of a top drawer journalist. I found this bizarre story of greed and human depravity in cyberspace as "unputdownable" as a best-selling true crime tale--which it is. This also serves as a sort of history of outline spam, chronicling the lives and times of those involved while reporting on the various measures taken by email providers and governments to combat the flood of unsolicited bulk emails.

As for the future of spam and spam-fighters, McWilliams gives this appraisal: "...the pernicious root of the spam crisis does not appear to be legislative or technological. It is human..." He adds, "The ability to move relatively incognito online may have created a perfect medium for surreptitious e-marketers...But the Internet has also engendered a corresponding segment of consumers. Call them furtive shoppers" who have a desire for stuff that needs to be delivered in plain, brown wrappers. He concludes, "...spammers sell whatever people will buy from them." (pp. 296-297)

So, the spam problem (costing the world $25-billion a year--estimate by the UN's International Telecommunications Union, p. 295) is not likely to go away until somebody changes human nature. As soon as the large ISPs such as AOL and Yahoo! find a way to filter out spam, spammers find a new way to get around their filters. Short of draconian measures, it would appear that spam at some level of annoyance will continue to be with us for years to come.

Average customer rating:

Little boys in particular should enjoy this colorful little adventure

The Dumpster Diver
Janet S. Wong
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763623806
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Book Description

One person’s trash is another persons’s treasure in this vivid picture-book ode to creative recycling — and to loyal friends.

Anyone can dive for treasure in the ocean, but Steve dives for it in his neighborhood dumpster! As he delves into the trash each weekend, Steve encourages his young neighbors (aka the Diving Team) to see the potential in what other people throw away. With a little bit of imagination, trash can be transformed into treasure — and as the Diving Team soon discovers, it might even help a friend in need.

Customer Reviews:

Little boys in particular should enjoy this colorful little adventure.......2007-05-27

Inspired by Kerry Wade, an artist who takes old skis and turns them into chairs, Janet S. Wong crafted this colorful (thanks to illustrator David Roberts) story about Steve the electrician, also known as The Dumpster Diver. Every month, Steven dons his special dumpster diving suit, dives right in to the big trash bin, and counts on three young friends to assist him: one turns on the faucet, another keeps the hose from getting tangled up, and the other aims the nozzle at all of the nasty bugs and spiders that evacuate the dumpster in the wake of Steve's invasion - and then at Steve once he emerges from the dumpster. They turn "junk" into all kinds of neat toys, gizmos, and furniture.

Lest you think otherwise, the book doesn't really encourage young children to follow in Steve's dumpster-diving footsteps. In fact, Steve ends up sustaining an injury from this little hobby of his. The real point of the story, I believe, is to pass along the idea that you can have fun by turning materials you might normally throw away or just have lying around the house somewhere into useful, fun things. In other words, one man's trash can be another man's treasure.

This is a fairly large and colorful little book that young children should really enjoy - probably little boys more than little girls. Parents would do well to talk to their children about the story, though, not only because it could lead to some fun adventures that the parents can share with the child but also because you really don't want to come home from a hard day's work to find little Johnny sitting there surrounded by a bunch of broken toys and other junk he's collected from the neighbors.

Average customer rating:

The Block Book
Susan Arkin Couture
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0060205245

The Mystery of the Chinese Junk (Hardy Boys, Book 39)

Average customer rating:

Thank Goodness For Franklin W. Dixon!
Caves, a Chinese Junk, and a Host of Mysterious Characters
filled with action
Blatent attempt
It's Alright, But Nothing Wonderful

The Mystery of the Chinese Junk (Hardy Boys, Book 39)
Franklin W. Dixon
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0448089394

Customer Reviews:

Thank Goodness For Franklin W. Dixon!.......2006-07-02

It's amazing how time changes people's perspective on things and as they say, the cream always rises to the top. Now, as I approach the big 40, I've started my inevitable nostalgic journey and I've just come across this old edition of Dixon's classic that I first got at the age of 13.

Looking back, I realise now what a great debt I owe to what has now become institutions of teaching for my English education and for my love of reading. Sesame Street and the Electric Company from the world of television and my public library card and the works of Franklin W. Dixon from the world of books deserve much of the credit. I am not surprised at how with the amazing exception of The Electric Company the others are still alive and kicking today for a new generation of kids.

I've read many of the Hardy Boy's adventures but this edition #39 is the sole volume that I've still got on my bookshelf. Although it may not be THE best adventure of theirs that's been written, for me it still holds all the essential ingredients that has made the entire series an enduring success. We get for a change, many of the brothers' friends involved and we get the usual formula of mystery, sleuthing, capture, escape and solution in the end. The setting and the story changes but the formula remains intact.

Thank you Hardy Boys for providing me with such great excitement as an early teen and without me truly realizing it, educating me in the process and preparing me for a lifetime of friendship with books. "The Mystery of the Chinese Junk" will always remain on my bookshelf alongside my other friends.

Caves, a Chinese Junk, and a Host of Mysterious Characters.......2006-03-30

I suspect that the authors of the Hardy Boys series liked caves because they appear so frequently in the series. In this book Chet Morton has decided to become an amateur spelunker. Chet's hobby soon plays a minor role in finding the criminals.

Frank and Joe Hardy and their friends purchase a very inexpensive Chinese junk to ferry people to a local island park. Soon the boys encounter several mysteries. Who is Dr. Montrose and why does he seem to be associated with women are robbed of their securities? An even better question is why are so many people interested in the Chinese junk, and what possible connection could those people have to Dr. Montrose. Or perhaps there is no connection. Join the Hardy Boys and their friends as the sort the good guys from the bad guys and, as usual, solve all the mysteries.

This story is slightly better than average because the story has aged well. There are a few anachronisms, but some of these are explainable. For example, a typewriter is a key element in the story. Typewriters are increasingly rare, but are still available and used. Similarly, the radios the Hardys used are still a feature of boats even with the availability of cell phones and other communications devices. This story provides enough mis-direction and mystery to keep a reader in the target audience interested. Though I recommend reading the first books in the series before reading this book, this book is a good one for a casual fan or for someone new to the series.

The publisher recommends the Hardy Boys series for ages 9 to 12 because the series is relatively tame for the previous target audience of ages 10 to 14. This particular book is a good fit for the new age range. Though the Hardy Boys series contains archaic information, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are good. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.

filled with action.......2005-09-06

This was a really good one. The mystery was very good and full of surprises.

Blatent attempt.......2003-01-19

This was a forced attempt to bring Asian culture into the series. Keep in mind, The Mystery of The Fire Dragon of Nancy Drew fame was published the same year and it dealt with Asian culture. I view that as a negative. The brothers run a ferry service while operating a Chinese Junk in Bayport. The book was actually not too bad with a fair amount of interaction with the criminals. I rank it as average never really liking or disliking this particular volume. RATED C+

It's Alright, But Nothing Wonderful.......2002-03-02

Frank, Joe and a group of their friends buy a chinese junk to make money during the summer by taking passengers out to picnic on one of the islands in Barmet Bay. However, shortly after they buy the junk, two rival chinese groups begin pressuring the boys to sell the boat. Also, Frank and Joe discover that a dangerous criminal who calls himself "The Chameleon" may be in Bayport. Frank, Joe and their friends must find out why the two groups of chinese are interested in their boat and discover the true identity of the Chameleon. The book has a moderate amount of action, but the mystery isn't that interesting. In the end, it isn't even Frank or Joe who discovered the secret of the junk or were responsible for capturing the criminals, it was their friends. While it was nice to see their friends do this for a change, this is the "Hardy Boys" series for a reason. One thing that I really did like about this book; though, was that it did remember that Frank and Joe have friends other than Chet and they were used quite often, unlike in many of the later books. The book is worth reading, but it is not one of the best of the series.

My Life as Crocodile Junk Food (The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle #4)

Average customer rating:

VERRY FUNNY
This book was funny, exciting and I loved the ending.

My Life as Crocodile Junk Food (The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle #4)
Bill Myers
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0849934052

Book Description

Chased by thieves through roaring rapids, over a killer waterfall, and into the hands of primitive jungle natives!

This isn't exactly what Dad had in mind when he took his son on a missions trip to the South American rain forest. But he should have known better. After all, we are talking about Wally-If-Anything-Can-Go-Wrong-It-Will McDoogle.

My Life as Crocodile Junk Food keeps readers laughing as Wally stumbles into a whole new set of impossible (and man-eating) predicaments . . . Until he finally understands the need and joy of sharing Jesus Christ with others.

Customer Reviews:

VERRY FUNNY.......2000-10-18

My Life as Crocodile Junk Food (by Bill Myers) is a truly hilarious book. I really like his superhero stories. Wally travels to a South American rain forest and makes some new friends. I especially like the part where he meets George the savage. It's another mishap for Wally-if-it-can-break-crash-or-blow-up-it-will-Mcdoogle. If you haven't read it, I suggest you do.

This book was funny, exciting and I loved the ending........1999-11-08

I like Wally because he gets in trouble alot but always thinks about God. (Like me!) This adventure teaches him about missionaries and how they live. I am 12 years old like Wally.

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