{"product_id":"books-candyfreak-by-steve-almond","title":"Candyfreak","description":"You can almost taste the marshmallow. --USA Today \u003cbr\u003eDo you remember Caravelles, Choco-Lites, Oompahs, and Marathons? Or how about Cookies n' Mints or Kit Kat Darks? Steve Almond does, but many of these candies can't be found anymore, and Almond wanted to know why. Where'd they go? When Almond embarked on a nationwide journey he discovered a candy industry ruled by conglomerates, where the little guys, the last remaining link to the golden age of the candy bar in America, struggle to survive. Makers of theTwin Bing, the Idaho Spud, the Goo Goo Cluster, the Valomilk, and a dozen other quirky bars, invited Almond in for a peek at how glorious candy can be. \u003cbr\u003ePart candy porn and polemic, part social history and confession, this is the story of how Steve Almond grew up on candy -- and how, for better and worse, candy has grown up, too. \u003cbr\u003eBrilliant! Candyfreak has neither calories nor cabs. --People magazine (Critic's Choice) \u003cbr\u003eAn exuberant tribute to cheap, plentiful, locally produced sweets and the small, attainable pleasures they provide. Like a good candy bar: a piece of delicious, ephemeral fun. --San Francisco Chronicle \u003cbr\u003eThe verdict: Utterly irresistible. --Atlanta Journal-Constitution \u003cbr\u003eCombines the patter of a stand-up comic with the soul of a 10-year-old whose allowance is burning a hole in his pocket. . . . An off-the-wall odyssey. --Boston Globe \u003cbr\u003eThere are people who enjoy an occasional Milky Way and then there's Steve Almond (yes, that's his real name). -Entertainment Weekly\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs seen on CN and Food TV. \u003cbr\u003eSteve Almond is the author of the acclaimed story collection My Life in Heavy Metal and The Evil B.B.Chow and Other Stories. He teaches creative writing at Boston College, and has eaten at least one piece of candy every single day of his entire life.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"World of Books ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54416061399313,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781565124219.jpg?v=1787562636","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/books-candyfreak-by-steve-almond","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}