Negative Positive
Title: You can do Better
Review: If you're interested in kitchen science, chances are you're not stupid, so why buy a book that treats you as if you were?The Q&A format means the book can't fully develop a satisfactory explanation; it also reads like a collection of magazine columns. Any explanation that sounds even vaguely technical is covered in as few words as possible, sequestered in parentheses and prefaced with the irritating word "techspeak". This does nothing for the book's already patronizing air.If you're a thinking cook who has taken High School chemistry, you'll be better off with Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, an acessible classic that is used as a textbook at the Culinary Institute of America--a distinction this book will never claim.This book will serve admirably as an introduction to food science--for your nearest reasonably bright 7th grader.
Is the review positive or negative? 