This book has thorough review of the history and composition of peanut butter, without getting too granular about any particular aspect. Just about everything you would want to know about peanut butter is there, however the issue with the book is not in the content, but in the structure. Certain facts and stories are repeated multiple times in different chapters. Sometimes, it seems like chapters were written independent of one another, then assembled without any editing. In places, anecdotes and recipes are shoehorned in without much service to the chapter in general. Some of these could still be in the book, but put in their own spot. Another issue was that the author buys into the organic narrative ("healthier", "chemical-free") without much too much scrutiny to those claims, which is unfortunate. Ultimately though, I wanted to learn more about peanut butter, and that I did. My favorite take-aways were learning about different peanut cultivars, brands that use those cultivars, how peanuts are used around the world, and the history of the big brands. I also appreciated the dive into some of the contamination issues that can affect peanut butter. ( )

If you love peanut butter, you are bound to find this book pretty fascinating. It traces the history of peanut butter from its earliest beginnings in the United States to the present day, with occasional side trips into peanut butter consumption around the world. We don't, perhaps, learn as much about peanut manufacturing as we would like to, because the companies involved are ultra-secretive and wouldn't allow the author into their plants, or even talk with him very much. But by interviewing ex-employees, experts, and the folks at smaller peanut butter producers, he manages to present a pretty comprehensive overview. This includes quite a bit about the salmonella outbreak at the end of 2008 that killed 9 people. Still, by the end of the book you'll be ready to head to the grocery store or to surf the internet for some of the small brands of peanut butter highlighted in this book.

The book loses a star for being somewhat repetitive and not especially well organized. It could have used one more run-through with the editor. ( )

I had a great time devouring this book over the course of two days. It struck me as kind of a cross between Mark Kurlansky's food books and Candyfreak by Steve Almond. Like Kurlansky because of the thorough, detailed history and science included in the book. But at certain points, just as I was starting to feel I'd had my fill of dry facts about peanut genetics or the chemistry of oil, Krampner breaks up the tedium with some entertaining anecdote, crazy recipe or interesting photo. He talks a lot about the characters who tried to create their own special recipes, creating peanut butters that have thrived as specialty brands, were bought out by large corporations, or just disappeared. (That's what reminded me of Candyfreak.) There's a useful guide to the best brands, including information what variety of peanuts they're made with. I've been a Jif girl for years, but now I'm curious to try some of these, to see how the flavor is different.

There's an interesting section on how a peanut butter-based food supplement is reducing malnutrition around the world. He discusses topics like aflatoxin, salmonella, peanut allergies, and hydrogenation with a fairly even hand, I think, although he doesn't have any patience with the Bush-era FDA budget cutbacks that resulted in reductions in food inspection.

He also doesn't have much love for George Washington Carver, and the small section on him might raise a few eyebrows. As I recall, he actually used the term Uncle Tom. OK, maybe people my age need to update our mistaken belief from childhood that "George Washington Carver invented peanut butter," but it could have been handled in a gentler way. I actually felt compelled to skim through a fairly recent, well thought of children's book on Carver (the one by Tonya Boulden) to see whether it matched up with Krampner's assessment. I think she does a great job of explaining why his life and work are still important to know about, even if he didn't do some of the things people think he did. She points out that he never claimed to have invented peanut butter, and that he was quite frustrated by being known as The Peanut Man, when peanuts were such a small part of his research. Krampner doesn't do him such favors.

Photos include a giant boll weevil statue, a young Gov. BIll Clinton presiding over a display of Arkansas products, and LOTS of funky old peanut butter jars and cans.

I received an electronic galley of the book for free, but received no other compensation for this review. ( )