My kind of book

There is the vast library of ancient literature whose membersI am insanely attempting to read, one by one, over the course of my life.

There is modern fiction, which for the most part does not interest me at all.

But the genre of book that sets me to salivating, that takes a terrible toll on my wallet, that evokes a sad sigh of resignation from my Beloved, eludes categorization. It is history, but something more. It is the concept book, for lack of a better term. It is a great author taking some noun -- some person, place or thing -- and probing carefully and specifically and entertainingly into it, whether the historical ravages of some famous disease like syphillis; the pre-Columbian American world; or the birth of the universe.

I found such a book today that looks SO tasty, so deserving of being read. Please don't tell my Beloved!

http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Gifts-Profane-Pleasures-Chocolate/dp/0801444934/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product