I picked this up when I first received it and read 50% through the book before I put it back down. I honestly only finished it in an attempt to increase my arc percentage. I love non-fiction books. I love learning facts and hearing arguments and I am especially interested in the impact of sugar because I do not think it gets enough attention.

However, Sugar by James Galvin is boring and repetitive. The most impactful parts of the books are the connection between sugar and slavery, and seeing Galvin's other books it makes sense that this is a topic that he has researched extensively. However, once we reach past this point the arguments are week and not well backed up. For example, Galvin makes the claim that sugar causes obesity and that this is not just a modern issue. He then backs up this claim by writing two full pages of offensive words used to call people who are overweight. Not only should this never have been included it does nothing to back up his argument, and any argument does need to be proven. The rest of the book is similar with a lot of fat shaming thrown in and victim blaming mixed in.

I had some basic biological understanding of how sugar interacts with us and our chemistry within the body. I enjoyed the historical discussion of sugar and its’ rise as a commodity and traded item. I think it is important in this novel to go into it knowing that the focus is primarily historical and not physiological. The author places sugar in the historical and cultural context that it played. There is a discussion on obesity and health impacts, but I saw this as much more of a historical novel. The author does describe sugar’s current role in society and that was interesting. Some of the novel could be a little dry but it was a really interesting portrayal of sugar and its role in society.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an incredible history of how the introduction of sugar has changed so much of our world. I was surprised to learn how little I knew about how this little ingredient came to be. Meticulously research, this book brings the reader from the 15th century up through the modern world, covering the depth of the slave trade to the way that sugar has impacted global health and how governments have gone out of their way to protect the sugar trade to the detriment of millions. I was truly shocked at so much of what this book uncovered. I've been recommending this book to so many people. A real eye-opener.

This book has so much valuable information about sugar, in both history and nutrition. Everyone deserves to know how sugar became so pervasive. This information helps me to eat better, since of course I love sugar but I also know that it really isn't part of a normal diet.

This book needs to make its way into main stream media of every kind and be read by students studying health, environmental issues, human development, I could go on... So well done and so obviously relevant in our world today that I would not hesitate to recommend Sugar by James Walvin to anyone whether they're mainly nonfiction readers or not. I enjoyed reading it and learned a lot while doing so. It rightfully earned its 5 stars from this reader.

This book contains the entire and complete history of sugar starting pre-1600. More importantly, this book delves into the relationship between sugar and each society through time. You won't be shocked to discover that as time went on and sugar became easier to produce and transport that it has caused our collective health to suffer. Once a luxury only for the most wealthy now it is in everything that is processed at the supermarket. That part you probably already knew. The details are fascinating, and the narrative is entertaining and keeps you rolling through history at just the right pace.

Homeschoolers- you could use this on a high school booklist in either history or if you are studying nutrition/science.

I read this as a DRC in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley.