A History of Candy
By Tim Richardson

Like a Snickers bar, this look at the evolution, growth and impact of the sweets industry has lots of good stuff in it. Jumping across time from the Aryans of India (who introduced beekeeping) until today, Richardson tells how caramel was (ouch) a depilatory for 10th-century Turkish women, dissolving taffy was used to sink mines in WWII, and General Foods pleaded with school principals to help dispel the urban legend that the kid who played Mikey in a Life cereal commercial died from an explosive combination of soda and Pop Rocks. But Richardson—an overly serious sort who calls himself the "first international confectionery historian"—flavors the narrative with strong opinions that can be off the mark. "Sweets," he claims, "have until now escaped the tyranny of gourmetism." Hasn't he heard of Godiva? And after 392 pages, this is such a vast display of knowledge that, like visiting a sweet shop, the experience can be overwhelming. (Bloomsbury, $24.95)

BOTTOM LINE: Doesn't make you hungry for more