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aecinf's review
3.0
Reading about caffeine as a November reading challenge. This book was informative but dry. It read a bit like a textbook. It was packed with good quality, well-researched and well-supported information on the soda industry and thoroughly explored the topic from multiple angles. Academics will likely enjoy this one but I'm not sure the casual reader would unless they are specifically seeking to gain a better understanding of the industry problems from a social justice standpoint.
whichthreewords's review
4.0
An impressively exhaustive account of the soda industry, its effects on human health, and its extensive efforts to ensure profit triumphs over health concerns.
Full review is here: http://en.healthnexus.ca/news/book-review-soda-politics-taking-big-soda-and-winning-marion-nestle
The version I read was an electronic galley so it lacked formatting and most of the tables -- I can see that the final version will be even stronger with the inclusion of that material!
Full review is here: http://en.healthnexus.ca/news/book-review-soda-politics-taking-big-soda-and-winning-marion-nestle
The version I read was an electronic galley so it lacked formatting and most of the tables -- I can see that the final version will be even stronger with the inclusion of that material!
fyodoralekseyev's review
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Wow! Now seeing Coke everywhere makes my blood boil. Thanks, Nestle (of no relation to the company).
josh_caporale's review against another edition
4.0
When I was younger, soda used to (just about) be a daily staple within my diet. I would drink it with dinner (just about) every night and if I was out at a special occasion or at someone's house, I would drink about two or three. My favorites were (and you can say still are) root beer (preferably A&W or Mug) and Vanilla Coke. I knew that they were bad for you, but I was not thinking about that at the time. In 2008, though, I made the decision that I wanted to cut soda out of my daily diet and would also take the step to rearranging my diet so that I would drink an orange juice in the morning and water for any subsequent meal, with a bit of flexibility in between. My train of thought was that while you can make something out of the calories you consume from starches such as pastas, breads, and cookies, soda is useless and should avoided whenever possible. I lost weight as a result and feel that cutting back soda had a lot to do with this. At this point in time, I will only drink soda when I am eating pizza, out at a restaurant, or at a special occasion, but there are moments where I will not, and that willpower is necessary in combating a desire to drink soda. That is my story.
How does this connect to Soda Politics? It is proof to the fact that it is necessary to decrease or completely remove an intake of soda as soon as possible. Some children can recall being prohibited against drinking soda during meals or being limited to how much they can consume and if it means decreasing your chances at becoming diabetic or developing tooth decay or any other condition, then it is necessary. Marion Nestle, an instructor of Nutrition, Food Studies, Public Heath, and Sociology who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and M.P.H. in Public Health Nutrition, won the James Beard Book Award in the Writing and Literature category in 2016 for this book that she wrote a year earlier. As far as I am concerned, Nestle really hits home in bringing about attention to the issues that soda can have on an individual the way that Morgan Spurlock brought about attention to the effect that fast food can have on an individual through his month long diet of food from McDonalds in Super Size Me.
Soda Politics is intended to be an argument against drinking soda and how Nestle believes that it is the government's responsibility to restrict where soda can be advertised, where soda should and should not be made available, how it should not be covered through government assistance programs (notably SNAP), and how a tax would be more beneficial to society. In addition to these arguments, she breaks down what soda really is by evaluating Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola's food labels, discusses the ingredients, and provides us with an insight on the health issues that come with a consistent intake of soft drinks. She then explores the bigger picture as to why it has been difficult for people to kick a current habit or avoid drinking soda altogether. Her explanation is the abrasive and ever-looming presence that soda has in our society and throughout a greater global picture. She argues how Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. have become such gigantic businesses that they can pay organizations and outlets that promote nutritional lifestyles to promote exercise instead of blame their products. This also includes political figures, especially those that are candidates running for public office. Nestle reminds us, the readers, that these companies manipulate the people in the name of making money. This is capitalism at its finest and making money is what one should be doing during their lifetimes, but the question is when does it go too far.
As far as I am concerned, the tampering with and taking advantage of a natural resource, water, is where I feel that the soda industry is going too far. I feel that water is a necessity and that all humans should be entitled to access of clean water for a reasonable cost. In Chapter 7, Nestle brings about a statement historian Bartow Elmore made about "Coca-Cola Capitalism" and how it is "an extractive industry." He says...
"Like other extraction industries, it draws on natural resources and transfers the cost of those resources- water and agricultural land for growing sugar and corn, for example- to taxpayers. The public pays for municipal water supplies used to make soft drinks, for the railroads and highways used to transport the drinks, for the corn subsidies that reduce the price of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), for cleaning up the mess made by discarded cans and plastic bottles, and for the health care of soda drinkers who become ill." (pages 98-99).
I am already agitated as it is that my taxpayer money goes to ridiculous earmark causes such as research on how quails engage in sexual activity. The fact that I am paying for the mess that the soda industry engages is outrageous!
I will say that there are moments where a book gets a little too preachy and argues in favor of nanny state measures for the good of society, which also includes taking the time to encourage us the reader to argue in favor of restricting sodas in schools and implementing a tax on soda and other sugary drinks. I cannot help but think of my younger self and how bummed I would be if an adult figure of mine went to my school and told them they should not provide us with soda and other sugary drinks. While my older self would be a bit more appreciative that someone was looking out for my health, I still believe in the freedom of choice. A parent SHOULD have the right to not purchase soda or restrict soda from being consumed in their household, but that is their business and the way they should live. Nestle uses a lot of visuals, which I thought really served their purpose and made reading this far more accessible, and one of which was at the beginning of Chapter 8, on page 103, where the conservative thought is of personal choice, while the liberal thought leans on policy. I may have approached the comic a bit differently than was intended, but I think that one can look at this book and develop their own opinion, even if it does not stand exactly with Nestle's.
What I liked most about this book is how it DID give me the tools that I needed to develop a more informed opinion about the soda industry. I have been doing my best to avoid consuming food from major companies or those that obvious use GMOs and am pleased where they have taken it upon themselves to warn people that foods are "made with genetic engineering" when lawmakers and political figures wanted to keep us in the dark (prevent us from making ANY clear choice). It was, however, how soda companies use our money collected through taxes and their efforts to take control of our access to water (through methods like "Cap the Tap") that made me angry about how they are engaging in dirty tactics in order to benefit themselves and because they CAN. I like how this book took an objective approach to discussing soda, even if the position that was taken was heavily obvious, and the information and the way it was conveyed was amazing.
I feel that anyone that reads this book is going to get something out of it and will probably want to immensely decrease or cut soda out of their diet. If not, they will have plenty on their mind as they drink a soda and want to turn to water.
You can find my Literary Gladiators discussion about this book (containing spoilers) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl-SbPm3pbA
How does this connect to Soda Politics? It is proof to the fact that it is necessary to decrease or completely remove an intake of soda as soon as possible. Some children can recall being prohibited against drinking soda during meals or being limited to how much they can consume and if it means decreasing your chances at becoming diabetic or developing tooth decay or any other condition, then it is necessary. Marion Nestle, an instructor of Nutrition, Food Studies, Public Heath, and Sociology who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and M.P.H. in Public Health Nutrition, won the James Beard Book Award in the Writing and Literature category in 2016 for this book that she wrote a year earlier. As far as I am concerned, Nestle really hits home in bringing about attention to the issues that soda can have on an individual the way that Morgan Spurlock brought about attention to the effect that fast food can have on an individual through his month long diet of food from McDonalds in Super Size Me.
Soda Politics is intended to be an argument against drinking soda and how Nestle believes that it is the government's responsibility to restrict where soda can be advertised, where soda should and should not be made available, how it should not be covered through government assistance programs (notably SNAP), and how a tax would be more beneficial to society. In addition to these arguments, she breaks down what soda really is by evaluating Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola's food labels, discusses the ingredients, and provides us with an insight on the health issues that come with a consistent intake of soft drinks. She then explores the bigger picture as to why it has been difficult for people to kick a current habit or avoid drinking soda altogether. Her explanation is the abrasive and ever-looming presence that soda has in our society and throughout a greater global picture. She argues how Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. have become such gigantic businesses that they can pay organizations and outlets that promote nutritional lifestyles to promote exercise instead of blame their products. This also includes political figures, especially those that are candidates running for public office. Nestle reminds us, the readers, that these companies manipulate the people in the name of making money. This is capitalism at its finest and making money is what one should be doing during their lifetimes, but the question is when does it go too far.
As far as I am concerned, the tampering with and taking advantage of a natural resource, water, is where I feel that the soda industry is going too far. I feel that water is a necessity and that all humans should be entitled to access of clean water for a reasonable cost. In Chapter 7, Nestle brings about a statement historian Bartow Elmore made about "Coca-Cola Capitalism" and how it is "an extractive industry." He says...
"Like other extraction industries, it draws on natural resources and transfers the cost of those resources- water and agricultural land for growing sugar and corn, for example- to taxpayers. The public pays for municipal water supplies used to make soft drinks, for the railroads and highways used to transport the drinks, for the corn subsidies that reduce the price of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), for cleaning up the mess made by discarded cans and plastic bottles, and for the health care of soda drinkers who become ill." (pages 98-99).
I am already agitated as it is that my taxpayer money goes to ridiculous earmark causes such as research on how quails engage in sexual activity. The fact that I am paying for the mess that the soda industry engages is outrageous!
I will say that there are moments where a book gets a little too preachy and argues in favor of nanny state measures for the good of society, which also includes taking the time to encourage us the reader to argue in favor of restricting sodas in schools and implementing a tax on soda and other sugary drinks. I cannot help but think of my younger self and how bummed I would be if an adult figure of mine went to my school and told them they should not provide us with soda and other sugary drinks. While my older self would be a bit more appreciative that someone was looking out for my health, I still believe in the freedom of choice. A parent SHOULD have the right to not purchase soda or restrict soda from being consumed in their household, but that is their business and the way they should live. Nestle uses a lot of visuals, which I thought really served their purpose and made reading this far more accessible, and one of which was at the beginning of Chapter 8, on page 103, where the conservative thought is of personal choice, while the liberal thought leans on policy. I may have approached the comic a bit differently than was intended, but I think that one can look at this book and develop their own opinion, even if it does not stand exactly with Nestle's.
What I liked most about this book is how it DID give me the tools that I needed to develop a more informed opinion about the soda industry. I have been doing my best to avoid consuming food from major companies or those that obvious use GMOs and am pleased where they have taken it upon themselves to warn people that foods are "made with genetic engineering" when lawmakers and political figures wanted to keep us in the dark (prevent us from making ANY clear choice). It was, however, how soda companies use our money collected through taxes and their efforts to take control of our access to water (through methods like "Cap the Tap") that made me angry about how they are engaging in dirty tactics in order to benefit themselves and because they CAN. I like how this book took an objective approach to discussing soda, even if the position that was taken was heavily obvious, and the information and the way it was conveyed was amazing.
I feel that anyone that reads this book is going to get something out of it and will probably want to immensely decrease or cut soda out of their diet. If not, they will have plenty on their mind as they drink a soda and want to turn to water.
You can find my Literary Gladiators discussion about this book (containing spoilers) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl-SbPm3pbA
blinker's review against another edition
3.0
This book really gave me an appreciation of the global impact of soda production, marketing and consumption. I learned a lot but also felt like there was a fair bit of repetition.
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