Empty Pleasures

“A well-cited, thought-provoking, and fascinating analysis of the sociological, psychological, political, and financial underpinnings of the promotion and use of artificial sweeteners in the U.S. . . . Highly Recommended” — CHOICE

“Empty Pleasures is full of insights about artificial sweeteners.” — Gastronomica

“Charmingly written and exhaustively researched, de la Peña’s exploration provides a fascinating look into a seemingly commonplace food additive.” — ForeWord Magazine

“In its most intriguing chapter, the book details the “saccharin rebellion” . . . [which] reveals much about ordinary Americans’ perceptions of pleasure in a risk-filled world.” — A Nota Bene selection of The Chronicle of Higher Education

“Fascinating.” — The New Yorker “Book Bench” blog

“Carolyn de la Pena conducts a thorough review of artificial sweeteners and how their role and perception have changed over the years.” — Wilmington Star-News

“In this cultural history, de la Pena shows how everyone from scientists to food conglomerates to ad agencies to women’s magazines have conspired to make Americans believe we can have our sweets and eat them too.” — BarnesandNobleReview.com

“Absolutely fascinating. . . . This is not a book that scolds you for your gum habit or insists that drinking diet soda will cause you to put on pounds in the long term. Rather, it is a well-written guide to the history and development of a product that permanently changed our meal preparation, our manufacturing system, and our self-perception.” — SeriousEats.com

“Powerfully engaging . . . [a] highly readable narrative. . . . Strongly recommended for general readers who are interested in changes in the American diet and in their own food choices and for collections that focus on the history of industrial food.” — Story Circle Book Reviews

“De la Pena’s substantial skills as a social and cultural historian are on fine display. . . . Illuminating discussion. . . . Offers a too rare glimpse of how the business of chemistry actually works.” — Chemical & Engineering News