Brainfood: A Provocative Exploration of the Connection Between What You Eat and How You Think

In attempting to establish the social, physiological, cultural and psychological grounds for understanding food and its relationship to the brain, Bourre may have tackled a subject too complex in scope to be covered sufficiently in one volume. Topics such as alcoholism, herbology, vitamin deficiencies and eating disorders are certainly of interest when discussed individually, yet when combined with more complicated interpretations of dietetics and biology, in addition to myriad quotes ranging from those of philosophers to poets, scientists, and chefs, the result is a sometimes confusing array of data and research, gastronomic trivia and psychology. Still, the criticism of ``fashionable dietetics'' is provocative, and there is useful nutritional information, as well as brief histories of food. Bourre, a specialist in brain research, is right to say that too little is known of the mechanics of the brain and much is misunderstood; there is certainly a lot of room for exploration in the field. Unfortunately, however, the book does not explain our most mysterious organ cohesively or conclusively. (Feb.)