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• by:
• Abbott, Elizabeth

A perceptive and provocative investigation of a commodity that we use every day, yet know little about. Sugar: A Bittersweet History is a compelling and surprising look at the sweet commodity, from how it Africanized the cane fields of the Caribbean to how it fuelled the Industrial Revolution and jumpstarted the fast-food revolution. The book explores the hidden stories behind this sweet product, revealing how powerful American interests deposed Queen Lili'uokalani of Hawaii, how Hitler tried to ensure a steady supply of beet sugar when enemies threatened to cut off Germany's supply of overseas cane sugar, and how South Africa established a domestic ethanol industry in the wake of anti-apartheid sugar embargos. The book follows the history of sugar to the present day, showing how sugar played an integral role in today's fast-food revolution and made eating on the run socially acceptable.

Impressively researched and commandingly written, Sugar: A Bittersweet History will forever change perceptions of this sweet treat.