I'm trying to branch out in my reading. Normally murder mysteries and serial killers. Occasionally a good sci-fi thriller. But this time I read In Defense of Food and the Tipping Point. Now we all know I like food. Most food. But economics is on the fringe. I leave that up to Cliff.

So book review one. In Defense of Food. It made we want to change my eating habits again.

I used to be pretty much a veggie guy. My body would tell me when I needed animal protein.

After I'd had it I could smell it in my sweat. Odd, but true. I just never was a big meat eater.

Eat all you want. But this book changed how you looked at food. Never jumped on the low fat bandwagon either. Cycling seemed to take care of that. Ride to eat,Eat to ride.

In the book they explain how when they remove something (usually nutritious) from food,in go the chemicals. Take a look at a loaf of bread. You may not recognize it. We usually just look at the first couple ingredients. Will the bread maker get busted out? Now and then.

Basically it's back to good Third World foods. Rice, beans, Quinoa,veggies, lots of spices and more fruit. Odd I don't eat a lot of greens. Maybe I should. Either way I'm giving it a shot.

Now the Tipping Point was fun to see how trends start. Funny, nothing I own. But then it doesn't matter. The most interesting part of the book was about "chippers" people who smoke but don't get addicted. Apparently this drives the tobacco companies nuts. They keep looking for ways to hook them and can't do it. I also did a little poll with teens I know who smoke. Advertising had little or no impact on why the smoke. The most common response was my friends do it. I didn't want too. But it just sort of happened.

So if you need a change read either or both.

Meanwhile I'm going to try to get this guy off my tail.

Ride your bike. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy life. OGQ

Oh and by some coffee from http://www.counterculturecoffee.com/. The micro lot beans are like a fine wine.