We need more men Like Mark Thomas, 16 Nov 2008
No one else seems to have the cohones of this man, I applaud him, for both his tenacity, but also for his humor in the face of so much global misery, having recently seen his live show as well I have even more admiration for him, buy this book and admire the man that dares to go up against big business and Governments.

An expose of globalisation, as much as a book about Coke, 04 Nov 2008
I've always liked Mark Thomas' brand of protest politics, investigative journalism and stand-up comedy, so I was interested to see he has taken on the mighty Coca Cola empire.

My first impressions of this particular book though, are two-fold: firstly, that's a terrible name. Secondly, it's a terrible cover. Still, it's the writing inside that counts, and all is well on that front.

`Belching out the devil' chronicles a series of journeys to various parts of the world to meet those who have experienced `the Coke side of life'. There are Indian farmers with empty wells, Colombian trade unionists with collections of death threats, hassled Mexican shopkeepers who committed the unforgivable sin of stocking rival brand `Big Cola' in their fridges. Thomas does a great job of portraying these characters, giving them faces and names and vividly describing their communities, interspersing their stories with his own amusing travel writing.

Coca Cola get the right to reply, and a pattern rapidly emerges: because Coca Cola operate a franchise system, their back is always covered. "The Coca Cola Company does not own or operate any bottling plants in Colombia" has always, famously, been their answer to accusations of union busting, even to the point where 7 union organisers were killed at one bottling plant. They are able to say the same of the bottlers in India who are lowering the water table, or the ones employing children in El Salvador.

As Thomas says, "no matter where the human rights abuses occurred, if it's your name on the label then you're responsible for sorting it out." Unfortunately this could be said of almost every major corporation, from oil companies to high street fashion houses. Brands should not be allowed to hide behind middle men.

In the end,`Belching out the devil' is really an expose of branding, of globalisation and its winners and losers, using Coca Cola as a case study. As such, despite the title and the cover, it's rather good.

Bad corporation, 02 Nov 2008
This is an educational and and enjoyable read even though the story is about the blighted lives of people on different continents at the hands of coke.
Mark exposes the staunch anti union attitudes of the company, the damage they cause to the environment and the lies they tell when fingers are pointed at them, not to mention the bully-boy tactics when their grasp on the market is threatened.
It's only sugary water after all.


Not all sweetness and sugar, 11 Oct 2008
Reading any of Mark Thomas's books, articles, or even watching an episode of the television series that preceeded them always leaves me feeling angry, depressed and with a real frustration that I am doing little to make the world a better place. So it was with some trepidation that I finally picked up Belching Out The Devil. I was also concerned that as a conscientious consumer who already avoids Coca-Cola that the book would merely be preaching to the converted (me).

Belching Out The Devil brings you on a journey around the world, tackling the many issues that blacken the Coca-Cola brand; the infringement on workers rights, the environmental impact and drought caused by the bottling plants and the pure disregard that The Coca-Cola Company has for the communities it inhabits. It is an easy read packed with hard hitting facts, humour and pop culture references which help you connect with the author, meaning that he becomes a character in his own book rather than assuming the role of preacher. It is well researched and leaves no hole for Coca-Cola to wiggle through. At all times Coca-Cola are asked to respond to Mark Thomas's allegations and at all times his questions are greeted with frustrating PR spiel, there is a hope that if Coca-Cola learn anything from this book it would be to stop making excuses and actually commit themselves fully to the corporate social responsibility they espouse.

There is no call to action in Belching Out The Devil but it does leave you with the sensation of needing to do something, weather it be a boycott or just awareness raising amongst those you know. Some of the stories contained within are reassuring proof that it is possible for one person to make a difference.

problems of sugary caramel water, 03 Oct 2008
Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola

The author offers a honest and unbiased account of a journey across the globe to find the truth behind coca-cola. The writing style is warm and entertaining packed with interesting facts which bring you to really question what else you could have with your whisky. Belching out the devil offers a clear and concise account of the sociological, economical and political problems coca-cola brings to communities when it sets up business. I will never drink coca-cola ever again, and I hope you wont either.

We need more men Like Mark Thomas, 16 Nov 2008
No one else seems to have the cohones of this man, I applaud him, for both his tenacity, but also for his humor in the face of so much global misery, having recently seen his live show as well I have even more admiration for him, buy this book and admire the man that dares to go up against big business and Governments.

An expose of globalisation, as much as a book about Coke, 04 Nov 2008
I've always liked Mark Thomas' brand of protest politics, investigative journalism and stand-up comedy, so I was interested to see he has taken on the mighty Coca Cola empire.

My first impressions of this particular book though, are two-fold: firstly, that's a terrible name. Secondly, it's a terrible cover. Still, it's the writing inside that counts, and all is well on that front.

`Belching out the devil' chronicles a series of journeys to various parts of the world to meet those who have experienced `the Coke side of life'. There are Indian farmers with empty wells, Colombian trade unionists with collections of death threats, hassled Mexican shopkeepers who committed the unforgivable sin of stocking rival brand `Big Cola' in their fridges. Thomas does a great job of portraying these characters, giving them faces and names and vividly describing their communities, interspersing their stories with his own amusing travel writing.

Coca Cola get the right to reply, and a pattern rapidly emerges: because Coca Cola operate a franchise system, their back is always covered. "The Coca Cola Company does not own or operate any bottling plants in Colombia" has always, famously, been their answer to accusations of union busting, even to the point where 7 union organisers were killed at one bottling plant. They are able to say the same of the bottlers in India who are lowering the water table, or the ones employing children in El Salvador.

As Thomas says, "no matter where the human rights abuses occurred, if it's your name on the label then you're responsible for sorting it out." Unfortunately this could be said of almost every major corporation, from oil companies to high street fashion houses. Brands should not be allowed to hide behind middle men.

In the end,`Belching out the devil' is really an expose of branding, of globalisation and its winners and losers, using Coca Cola as a case study. As such, despite the title and the cover, it's rather good.

Bad corporation, 02 Nov 2008
This is an educational and and enjoyable read even though the story is about the blighted lives of people on different continents at the hands of coke.
Mark exposes the staunch anti union attitudes of the company, the damage they cause to the environment and the lies they tell when fingers are pointed at them, not to mention the bully-boy tactics when their grasp on the market is threatened.
It's only sugary water after all.


Not all sweetness and sugar, 11 Oct 2008
Reading any of Mark Thomas's books, articles, or even watching an episode of the television series that preceeded them always leaves me feeling angry, depressed and with a real frustration that I am doing little to make the world a better place. So it was with some trepidation that I finally picked up Belching Out The Devil. I was also concerned that as a conscientious consumer who already avoids Coca-Cola that the book would merely be preaching to the converted (me).

Belching Out The Devil brings you on a journey around the world, tackling the many issues that blacken the Coca-Cola brand; the infringement on workers rights, the environmental impact and drought caused by the bottling plants and the pure disregard that The Coca-Cola Company has for the communities it inhabits. It is an easy read packed with hard hitting facts, humour and pop culture references which help you connect with the author, meaning that he becomes a character in his own book rather than assuming the role of preacher. It is well researched and leaves no hole for Coca-Cola to wiggle through. At all times Coca-Cola are asked to respond to Mark Thomas's allegations and at all times his questions are greeted with frustrating PR spiel, there is a hope that if Coca-Cola learn anything from this book it would be to stop making excuses and actually commit themselves fully to the corporate social responsibility they espouse.

There is no call to action in Belching Out The Devil but it does leave you with the sensation of needing to do something, weather it be a boycott or just awareness raising amongst those you know. Some of the stories contained within are reassuring proof that it is possible for one person to make a difference.

problems of sugary caramel water, 03 Oct 2008
Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola

The author offers a honest and unbiased account of a journey across the globe to find the truth behind coca-cola. The writing style is warm and entertaining packed with interesting facts which bring you to really question what else you could have with your whisky. Belching out the devil offers a clear and concise account of the sociological, economical and political problems coca-cola brings to communities when it sets up business. I will never drink coca-cola ever again, and I hope you wont either.

CHEMICALS - WE ARE ALL MADE OF CHEMICALS!, 19 Jul 2008
Along with may other such publications, this embraces the view that, setting aside the very valid exploitation issues, anything relating to "CHEMICALS" are nasty and damaging!

We are all made up of a variety of chemicals - the very elements that are needed to build both us as humans and all that surrounds and feeds us.

Furthermore, the over-sanitisation of our world has lead to so many allergic reactions as we have not built up the antibodies that our forefathers did naturally. And our intervention into "lesser-known civilisations" has brought them new biological hazards for which they have no natural defence.

Basically the book just serves as yet another tirade against multiple food retailers - some of whom DO really care about production methods

Changed my life, 09 Dec 2007
My whole outlook on the food I eat, what I buy and where I buy has changed after reading this book. I started reading on the Friday and was finished by the Sunday. I no longer go to supermarkets, I seek out good local shops that sell quality foods. I buy organic wherever possible. I avoid process foods and I always read the label. It is truly shocking what manufacturers and supermarkets get away with.

You owe it to yourself, 29 Jun 2007
You owe it to yourself to scare yourself silly with this book.

Cheap food is good, right? Uh-oh. Everything 'cheap' is being paid for somewhere along the line - either in quality, or in pitiful wages for the workers, or in environmental damage.

You will never buy a washed salad pack again.

Recommended, 14 Jun 2007
Good book with lots of chunks I wanted to copy and forward on to folks. Chapters focus on ingredients and their production/marketing/adulteration. Everything on the shelves in the supermarket is adulterated, far worse than the horror scares in the 1800s, and yet the deceit surrounding the practice is much better managed these days. :(

Not... is *way* better (and more sympathetically) written than The Great Food Gamble which I also recently read on a bookring. This is as good as Fast Food Nation, and as relevant.

READ THIS BOOK if you care about your family and yourself, 25 Jan 2007
If you are conscious about your eating habits, and you probably are if you are looking at this book, then this will be an interesting read. Some things might not be totally new, but it certainly clarifies some things.

The examples given are focused on the U.K. food market, but it certainly translates to Europe in general.

There are some things you can easily change in your eating habits and the book is not too idealistic. In fact it helps to set realistic goals and even if you don't want to change anything ... at least be aware unless you want to stay ignorant.

We need more men Like Mark Thomas, 16 Nov 2008
No one else seems to have the cohones of this man, I applaud him, for both his tenacity, but also for his humor in the face of so much global misery, having recently seen his live show as well I have even more admiration for him, buy this book and admire the man that dares to go up against big business and Governments.

An expose of globalisation, as much as a book about Coke, 04 Nov 2008
I've always liked Mark Thomas' brand of protest politics, investigative journalism and stand-up comedy, so I was interested to see he has taken on the mighty Coca Cola empire.

My first impressions of this particular book though, are two-fold: firstly, that's a terrible name. Secondly, it's a terrible cover. Still, it's the writing inside that counts, and all is well on that front.

`Belching out the devil' chronicles a series of journeys to various parts of the world to meet those who have experienced `the Coke side of life'. There are Indian farmers with empty wells, Colombian trade unionists with collections of death threats, hassled Mexican shopkeepers who committed the unforgivable sin of stocking rival brand `Big Cola' in their fridges. Thomas does a great job of portraying these characters, giving them faces and names and vividly describing their communities, interspersing their stories with his own amusing travel writing.

Coca Cola get the right to reply, and a pattern rapidly emerges: because Coca Cola operate a franchise system, their back is always covered. "The Coca Cola Company does not own or operate any bottling plants in Colombia" has always, famously, been their answer to accusations of union busting, even to the point where 7 union organisers were killed at one bottling plant. They are able to say the same of the bottlers in India who are lowering the water table, or the ones employing children in El Salvador.

As Thomas says, "no matter where the human rights abuses occurred, if it's your name on the label then you're responsible for sorting it out." Unfortunately this could be said of almost every major corporation, from oil companies to high street fashion houses. Brands should not be allowed to hide behind middle men.

In the end,`Belching out the devil' is really an expose of branding, of globalisation and its winners and losers, using Coca Cola as a case study. As such, despite the title and the cover, it's rather good.

Bad corporation, 02 Nov 2008
This is an educational and and enjoyable read even though the story is about the blighted lives of people on different continents at the hands of coke.
Mark exposes the staunch anti union attitudes of the company, the damage they cause to the environment and the lies they tell when fingers are pointed at them, not to mention the bully-boy tactics when their grasp on the market is threatened.
It's only sugary water after all.


Not all sweetness and sugar, 11 Oct 2008
Reading any of Mark Thomas's books, articles, or even watching an episode of the television series that preceeded them always leaves me feeling angry, depressed and with a real frustration that I am doing little to make the world a better place. So it was with some trepidation that I finally picked up Belching Out The Devil. I was also concerned that as a conscientious consumer who already avoids Coca-Cola that the book would merely be preaching to the converted (me).

Belching Out The Devil brings you on a journey around the world, tackling the many issues that blacken the Coca-Cola brand; the infringement on workers rights, the environmental impact and drought caused by the bottling plants and the pure disregard that The Coca-Cola Company has for the communities it inhabits. It is an easy read packed with hard hitting facts, humour and pop culture references which help you connect with the author, meaning that he becomes a character in his own book rather than assuming the role of preacher. It is well researched and leaves no hole for Coca-Cola to wiggle through. At all times Coca-Cola are asked to respond to Mark Thomas's allegations and at all times his questions are greeted with frustrating PR spiel, there is a hope that if Coca-Cola learn anything from this book it would be to stop making excuses and actually commit themselves fully to the corporate social responsibility they espouse.

There is no call to action in Belching Out The Devil but it does leave you with the sensation of needing to do something, weather it be a boycott or just awareness raising amongst those you know. Some of the stories contained within are reassuring proof that it is possible for one person to make a difference.

problems of sugary caramel water, 03 Oct 2008
Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola

The author offers a honest and unbiased account of a journey across the globe to find the truth behind coca-cola. The writing style is warm and entertaining packed with interesting facts which bring you to really question what else you could have with your whisky. Belching out the devil offers a clear and concise account of the sociological, economical and political problems coca-cola brings to communities when it sets up business. I will never drink coca-cola ever again, and I hope you wont either.

CHEMICALS - WE ARE ALL MADE OF CHEMICALS!, 19 Jul 2008
Along with may other such publications, this embraces the view that, setting aside the very valid exploitation issues, anything relating to "CHEMICALS" are nasty and damaging!

We are all made up of a variety of chemicals - the very elements that are needed to build both us as humans and all that surrounds and feeds us.

Furthermore, the over-sanitisation of our world has lead to so many allergic reactions as we have not built up the antibodies that our forefathers did naturally. And our intervention into "lesser-known civilisations" has brought them new biological hazards for which they have no natural defence.

Basically the book just serves as yet another tirade against multiple food retailers - some of whom DO really care about production methods

Changed my life, 09 Dec 2007
My whole outlook on the food I eat, what I buy and where I buy has changed after reading this book. I started reading on the Friday and was finished by the Sunday. I no longer go to supermarkets, I seek out good local shops that sell quality foods. I buy organic wherever possible. I avoid process foods and I always read the label. It is truly shocking what manufacturers and supermarkets get away with.

You owe it to yourself, 29 Jun 2007
You owe it to yourself to scare yourself silly with this book.

Cheap food is good, right? Uh-oh. Everything 'cheap' is being paid for somewhere along the line - either in quality, or in pitiful wages for the workers, or in environmental damage.

You will never buy a washed salad pack again.

Recommended, 14 Jun 2007
Good book with lots of chunks I wanted to copy and forward on to folks. Chapters focus on ingredients and their production/marketing/adulteration. Everything on the shelves in the supermarket is adulterated, far worse than the horror scares in the 1800s, and yet the deceit surrounding the practice is much better managed these days. :(

Not... is *way* better (and more sympathetically) written than The Great Food Gamble which I also recently read on a bookring. This is as good as Fast Food Nation, and as relevant.

READ THIS BOOK if you care about your family and yourself, 25 Jan 2007
If you are conscious about your eating habits, and you probably are if you are looking at this book, then this will be an interesting read. Some things might not be totally new, but it certainly clarifies some things.

The examples given are focused on the U.K. food market, but it certainly translates to Europe in general.

There are some things you can easily change in your eating habits and the book is not too idealistic. In fact it helps to set realistic goals and even if you don't want to change anything ... at least be aware unless you want to stay ignorant.

A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:

This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).

I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.

I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.

Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.

Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side!

Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library!

Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs).

This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before.

One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.

This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.

We need more men Like Mark Thomas, 16 Nov 2008
No one else seems to have the cohones of this man, I applaud him, for both his tenacity, but also for his humor in the face of so much global misery, having recently seen his live show as well I have even more admiration for him, buy this book and admire the man that dares to go up against big business and Governments.

An expose of globalisation, as much as a book about Coke, 04 Nov 2008
I've always liked Mark Thomas' brand of protest politics, investigative journalism and stand-up comedy, so I was interested to see he has taken on the mighty Coca Cola empire.

My first impressions of this particular book though, are two-fold: firstly, that's a terrible name. Secondly, it's a terrible cover. Still, it's the writing inside that counts, and all is well on that front.

`Belching out the devil' chronicles a series of journeys to various parts of the world to meet those who have experienced `the Coke side of life'. There are Indian farmers with empty wells, Colombian trade unionists with collections of death threats, hassled Mexican shopkeepers who committed the unforgivable sin of stocking rival brand `Big Cola' in their fridges. Thomas does a great job of portraying these characters, giving them faces and names and vividly describing their communities, interspersing their stories with his own amusing travel writing.

Coca Cola get the right to reply, and a pattern rapidly emerges: because Coca Cola operate a franchise system, their back is always covered. "The Coca Cola Company does not own or operate any bottling plants in Colombia" has always, famously, been their answer to accusations of union busting, even to the point where 7 union organisers were killed at one bottling plant. They are able to say the same of the bottlers in India who are lowering the water table, or the ones employing children in El Salvador.

As Thomas says, "no matter where the human rights abuses occurred, if it's your name on the label then you're responsible for sorting it out." Unfortunately this could be said of almost every major corporation, from oil companies to high street fashion houses. Brands should not be allowed to hide behind middle men.

In the end,`Belching out the devil' is really an expose of branding, of globalisation and its winners and losers, using Coca Cola as a case study. As such, despite the title and the cover, it's rather good.

Bad corporation, 02 Nov 2008
This is an educational and and enjoyable read even though the story is about the blighted lives of people on different continents at the hands of coke.
Mark exposes the staunch anti union attitudes of the company, the damage they cause to the environment and the lies they tell when fingers are pointed at them, not to mention the bully-boy tactics when their grasp on the market is threatened.
It's only sugary water after all.


Not all sweetness and sugar, 11 Oct 2008
Reading any of Mark Thomas's books, articles, or even watching an episode of the television series that preceeded them always leaves me feeling angry, depressed and with a real frustration that I am doing little to make the world a better place. So it was with some trepidation that I finally picked up Belching Out The Devil. I was also concerned that as a conscientious consumer who already avoids Coca-Cola that the book would merely be preaching to the converted (me).

Belching Out The Devil brings you on a journey around the world, tackling the many issues that blacken the Coca-Cola brand; the infringement on workers rights, the environmental impact and drought caused by the bottling plants and the pure disregard that The Coca-Cola Company has for the communities it inhabits. It is an easy read packed with hard hitting facts, humour and pop culture references which help you connect with the author, meaning that he becomes a character in his own book rather than assuming the role of preacher. It is well researched and leaves no hole for Coca-Cola to wiggle through. At all times Coca-Cola are asked to respond to Mark Thomas's allegations and at all times his questions are greeted with frustrating PR spiel, there is a hope that if Coca-Cola learn anything from this book it would be to stop making excuses and actually commit themselves fully to the corporate social responsibility they espouse.

There is no call to action in Belching Out The Devil but it does leave you with the sensation of needing to do something, weather it be a boycott or just awareness raising amongst those you know. Some of the stories contained within are reassuring proof that it is possible for one person to make a difference.

problems of sugary caramel water, 03 Oct 2008
Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola

The author offers a honest and unbiased account of a journey across the globe to find the truth behind coca-cola. The writing style is warm and entertaining packed with interesting facts which bring you to really question what else you could have with your whisky. Belching out the devil offers a clear and concise account of the sociological, economical and political problems coca-cola brings to communities when it sets up business. I will never drink coca-cola ever again, and I hope you wont either.

CHEMICALS - WE ARE ALL MADE OF CHEMICALS!, 19 Jul 2008
Along with may other such publications, this embraces the view that, setting aside the very valid exploitation issues, anything relating to "CHEMICALS" are nasty and damaging!

We are all made up of a variety of chemicals - the very elements that are needed to build both us as humans and all that surrounds and feeds us.

Furthermore, the over-sanitisation of our world has lead to so many allergic reactions as we have not built up the antibodies that our forefathers did naturally. And our intervention into "lesser-known civilisations" has brought them new biological hazards for which they have no natural defence.

Basically the book just serves as yet another tirade against multiple food retailers - some of whom DO really care about production methods

Changed my life, 09 Dec 2007
My whole outlook on the food I eat, what I buy and where I buy has changed after reading this book. I started reading on the Friday and was finished by the Sunday. I no longer go to supermarkets, I seek out good local shops that sell quality foods. I buy organic wherever possible. I avoid process foods and I always read the label. It is truly shocking what manufacturers and supermarkets get away with.

You owe it to yourself, 29 Jun 2007
You owe it to yourself to scare yourself silly with this book.

Cheap food is good, right? Uh-oh. Everything 'cheap' is being paid for somewhere along the line - either in quality, or in pitiful wages for the workers, or in environmental damage.

You will never buy a washed salad pack again.

Recommended, 14 Jun 2007
Good book with lots of chunks I wanted to copy and forward on to folks. Chapters focus on ingredients and their production/marketing/adulteration. Everything on the shelves in the supermarket is adulterated, far worse than the horror scares in the 1800s, and yet the deceit surrounding the practice is much better managed these days. :(

Not... is *way* better (and more sympathetically) written than The Great Food Gamble which I also recently read on a bookring. This is as good as Fast Food Nation, and as relevant.

READ THIS BOOK if you care about your family and yourself, 25 Jan 2007
If you are conscious about your eating habits, and you probably are if you are looking at this book, then this will be an interesting read. Some things might not be totally new, but it certainly clarifies some things.

The examples given are focused on the U.K. food market, but it certainly translates to Europe in general.

There are some things you can easily change in your eating habits and the book is not too idealistic. In fact it helps to set realistic goals and even if you don't want to change anything ... at least be aware unless you want to stay ignorant.

A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:

This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).

I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.

I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.

Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.

Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side!

Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library!

Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs).

This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before.

One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.

This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.

Great fun- tasty like the drinks, 17 Dec 2007
How one idea, three guys, a shed load of fruit and endless energy created on of the most innovative, and healthiest companies in the UK. Innocent was founded in 1998 by three Oxford grads, in 2007 it was the fastest growing food and drink business in the UK. Smoothies, are basically combinations of fresh fruit and fruit juice- an instant hit of vitamins to the system. Before innocent they were virtually unknown outside the kitchens of the health conscious- freshly squeezed organe juice was about as good as it got. Across the Atlantic however smoothies have been a hit for middle class office workers for years. The boys from innocent took, gave it a cheeky marketing spin and took the UK by force. Simmons looks in detail at how a seriously focused, commercially driven business can take a stagnant sector such as non alcoholic drinks and through a combination of good product, detailed gorilla style marketing, and hard but fair deal making can make a profit, expand and stick to their core ethical principals and have a green outcomes.- healthier consumers switching to a lower footprint product. It's a great easy read that cannot fail to inspire, and build respect both for the innocent team and their products, as well as have you laughing with the jokes and cheek of the labelling and marketing.

What Happens Next?, 11 Aug 2007
John Simmons writes with clarity and simplicity so that you almost feel as if you haven't read a business book; it was all too easy. Then again, you look back and realise you've learned much more about the business than if you'd struggled through a business report twice the length.
But now innocent have launched a break-away brand, This Water, and the Fruitstock Festival has turned into the Village Fair; we need an update.
What interests me is - according to John's description of their meticulous and lengthy planning process - that innocent must have been plotting their new developments while they were telling John about their recent history. These innocent chaps are wise indeed.
That's the problem with describing a moving target and the only reason I give the book a four and not a five. I need to know the thinking behind the This Water brand, why they moved on from Fruitstock. Bring out the update and I'll give it a 4.5.
But as a history of the brand's first few years, I'd recommend this for all your MBA case studies. Reading it as probably as close as you'll get to the interviewing the founders and Dan4.

Nothing but nothing but inspiring, 27 Apr 2007
As one of those people who, like so many others, once walked into a copywriting workshop clutching an Innocent bottle in my hand as though it was an elixir of creative wonder, before reading it out to the class - I was rather excited (not to mention a smidgen envious) when I heard this book was being written.

Happily, it's a really entertaining read, which I devoured in only a few sittings. What's so nice is the way Simmons' own enthusiasm for the brand shines through, as he leads us on a guided tour through Fruit Towers and the story of Innocent; from its humble beginnings in the much-fabled land of `yes' and `no' bins, through to its humbler still existence today as Britain's fastest growing food and drinks company. From the dancing grass vans and the banana phone, to the fruitstock festival, and to the almost bloody-minded optimism which bounces through Innocent's whole approach to things... it's all there. And like the smoothies themselves, this book leaves you feeling uplifted and charged, fresh with the knowledge that simple goodness, optimism and honesty really can triumph above cynicism.

I can't remember the last time I read a non-fiction book so quickly, or came across one so `unputdownable'. Maybe it's partly because the content was so interesting, but it's also got to be down to the engaging openness of the author's style. As in all his other books, he writes with a simple charm that isn't a million miles away from the natural, funny tone running through Innocent's own voice.

As well as a comprehensive history of the brand and its people, there are many other lovely treats inside. There's a gallery of the best and most read-aloud labels over the years. There are the Innocent company values, and the seven great pillars of wisdom which define what they're all about. Hell, there's even a wee-ometer. But best of all, there are two small but very important words to take away with you: Dan Germain's simple philosophy of `think little'. Because in the end what matters most to Innocent, and what makes them stand out from the masses, are the little details*.

So anyway, to sum up... If you've ever:

a) laughed your head off while looking at the side of an Innocent
bottle (or the underside for that matter);
b) wondered just how Innocent have done what they've done; or
c) you'd just like to know what on earth a `chatwich' is...

...then chances are you'll think this book well worth its cover price (which is after all only the cost of approximately 3 and a half thickies)


* That, and knowing that their mums are happy.


This book changed how I think about business, 02 Feb 2007
You know when a book is so good that you have to keep putting it down and look out the window or something - just to try to contain your excitement?

I've read an unhealthy amount about branding, writing, marketing and management -and this relatively short (charmingly written) book, in one single story about one (amazing) company, has taught me more about branding, writing and how those two things can define and direct a business than all the rest put together.

John Simmons shows you that your brand and how you articulate your brand are one and the same thing. He shows you that writing can permeate every part and every stage of an organisation, so that everyone in your business (your colleagues, your customers, your suppliers, your investors, the media - everyone) will know what you do and who you are - and like you all the more for it.

Like his other books (We, Me, Them & It, The Invisible Grail, Dark Angels etc), this is about bringing honesty and humanity to work through your actions and through your words. It's about talking to and thinking about people in a way that not only genuinely reflects who you are, but helps shape and define who you are at the same time. The lesson I took away was this: Get the big picture through your brand, then really do sweat the details - from the way you write your company rule books (yes, Innocent do have them), to the way you answer the phone.

If you already know Innocent's 'tone of voice' (the words they use and the way they use them), you might imagine that while all this might work when you're writing a list of ingredients on the side of a smoothie, when you're dealing with things like supply chain logistics or complex marketing strategy, it all ends up sounding like a bunch of ill-thought-out, homespun truisms. Don't you believe it, there's more clarity, focus, direction and simplicity resulting from the approach written about in this book than I've ever seen before.

If you want to improve your writing, read it. If you want to run a better business, read it. If you want to see that the world of marketing, branding and consultancy (for all its evils) has at least produced the three innocent founders and the author of this book, read it.

A great, great brand story - I genuinely couldn't more highly recommend it.

Plain speaking, 30 Jan 2007
As the inventor of the concept of 'tone of voice' there are few people better qualified to tell Innocent's story than John Simmons. Innocent have built their brand on language: simple, humorous, heartfelt, principled language that sets them a pole apart from so much of what appears on the supermarket shelves these days. John Simmons tells their story - from simple fruit juice stall to the UK's fastest growing food and drink company - with the same appealing directness, and by the time you reach the end it's hard not to admire them even more. This great brand story will be around for a very long time to come.

Alan Davidson's Oxford Companion to Food has been over 20 years in the assembling, but here it is; and it is superlatively worth the wait. In fact, superlatives fall silent. A huge and authoritative dictionary of 2,650 entries on just about every conceivable foodstuff, seasoning, cuisine, cooking method, historical survey, significant personage and explication of myth, it is supplemented by some 40 longer articles on key items. Davidson himself (no relation) contributes approximately 80% of the 2,650 entries, thereby guaranteeing high levels of erudition, readability and deadpan feline wit. Since this is a monument intended to last, nothing so frivolous as a recipe is included. A decision taken early in the development of the project to abjure issues whose significance is largely topical has also ensured an agreeable high-mindedness--nothing on those crucial but essentially dreary topics BSE and GM foods, for example.

If a fault could be found, it would only be that it's often difficult to read to the end of an entry, as the abundant cross-referencing all too easily sends one off to another entry, thence bouncing off to another, and all too soon the original is forgotten. A random alphabet of seductions might include: Aardvark, Botulism, Cup Cake, David (Elizabeth), Enzymes, Fat-Tailed Sheep, Gender/Sex and Food, Hallucinogenic Mushrooms, Ice Cream Sundae, Jewish Dietary Laws, Kangaroos, Lobscouse, Microwave Cooking, Norway, Offal, Puffin, Queen of Puddings, Roti, Scurvy, Termite Heap Mushroom (or Taillevant), Umeboshi, Vegetarianism, Washing up (a very elegant little article), sadly no X, Yin-yang and Zabaglione. As this might show, Alan Davidson's aim, borrowed from Dumas' great Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine, that his work would appeal not only to persons of "serious character" but also those "of a much lighter disposition", is utterly fulfilled. --Robin Davidson

We need more men Like Mark Thomas, 16 Nov 2008
No one else seems to have the cohones of this man, I applaud him, for both his tenacity, but also for his humor in the face of so much global misery, having recently seen his live show as well I have even more admiration for him, buy this book and admire the man that dares to go up against big business and Governments.

An expose of globalisation, as much as a book about Coke, 04 Nov 2008
I've always liked Mark Thomas' brand of protest politics, investigative journalism and stand-up comedy, so I was interested to see he has taken on the mighty Coca Cola empire.

My first impressions of this particular book though, are two-fold: firstly, that's a terrible name. Secondly, it's a terrible cover. Still, it's the writing inside that counts, and all is well on that front.

`Belching out the devil' chronicles a series of journeys to various parts of the world to meet those who have experienced `the Coke side of life'. There are Indian farmers with empty wells, Colombian trade unionists with collections of death threats, hassled Mexican shopkeepers who committed the unforgivable sin of stocking rival brand `Big Cola' in their fridges. Thomas does a great job of portraying these characters, giving them faces and names and vividly describing their communities, interspersing their stories with his own amusing travel writing.

Coca Cola get the right to reply, and a pattern rapidly emerges: because Coca Cola operate a franchise system, their back is always covered. "The Coca Cola Company does not own or operate any bottling plants in Colombia" has always, famously, been their answer to accusations of union busting, even to the point where 7 union organisers were killed at one bottling plant. They are able to say the same of the bottlers in India who are lowering the water table, or the ones employing children in El Salvador.

As Thomas says, "no matter where the human rights abuses occurred, if it's your name on the label then you're responsible for sorting it out." Unfortunately this could be said of almost every major corporation, from oil companies to high street fashion houses. Brands should not be allowed to hide behind middle men.

In the end,`Belching out the devil' is really an expose of branding, of globalisation and its winners and losers, using Coca Cola as a case study. As such, despite the title and the cover, it's rather good.

Bad corporation, 02 Nov 2008
This is an educational and and enjoyable read even though the story is about the blighted lives of people on different continents at the hands of coke.
Mark exposes the staunch anti union attitudes of the company, the damage they cause to the environment and the lies they tell when fingers are pointed at them, not to mention the bully-boy tactics when their grasp on the market is threatened.
It's only sugary water after all.


Not all sweetness and sugar, 11 Oct 2008
Reading any of Mark Thomas's books, articles, or even watching an episode of the television series that preceeded them always leaves me feeling angry, depressed and with a real frustration that I am doing little to make the world a better place. So it was with some trepidation that I finally picked up Belching Out The Devil. I was also concerned that as a conscientious consumer who already avoids Coca-Cola that the book would merely be preaching to the converted (me).

Belching Out The Devil brings you on a journey around the world, tackling the many issues that blacken the Coca-Cola brand; the infringement on workers rights, the environmental impact and drought caused by the bottling plants and the pure disregard that The Coca-Cola Company has for the communities it inhabits. It is an easy read packed with hard hitting facts, humour and pop culture references which help you connect with the author, meaning that he becomes a character in his own book rather than assuming the role of preacher. It is well researched and leaves no hole for Coca-Cola to wiggle through. At all times Coca-Cola are asked to respond to Mark Thomas's allegations and at all times his questions are greeted with frustrating PR spiel, there is a hope that if Coca-Cola learn anything from this book it would be to stop making excuses and actually commit themselves fully to the corporate social responsibility they espouse.

There is no call to action in Belching Out The Devil but it does leave you with the sensation of needing to do something, weather it be a boycott or just awareness raising amongst those you know. Some of the stories contained within are reassuring proof that it is possible for one person to make a difference.

problems of sugary caramel water, 03 Oct 2008
Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola

The author offers a honest and unbiased account of a journey across the globe to find the truth behind coca-cola. The writing style is warm and entertaining packed with interesting facts which bring you to really question what else you could have with your whisky. Belching out the devil offers a clear and concise account of the sociological, economical and political problems coca-cola brings to communities when it sets up business. I will never drink coca-cola ever again, and I hope you wont either.

CHEMICALS - WE ARE ALL MADE OF CHEMICALS!, 19 Jul 2008
Along with may other such publications, this embraces the view that, setting aside the very valid exploitation issues, anything relating to "CHEMICALS" are nasty and damaging!

We are all made up of a variety of chemicals - the very elements that are needed to build both us as humans and all that surrounds and feeds us.

Furthermore, the over-sanitisation of our world has lead to so many allergic reactions as we have not built up the antibodies that our forefathers did naturally. And our intervention into "lesser-known civilisations" has brought them new biological hazards for which they have no natural defence.

Basically the book just serves as yet another tirade against multiple food retailers - some of whom DO really care about production methods

Changed my life, 09 Dec 2007
My whole outlook on the food I eat, what I buy and where I buy has changed after reading this book. I started reading on the Friday and was finished by the Sunday. I no longer go to supermarkets, I seek out good local shops that sell quality foods. I buy organic wherever possible. I avoid process foods and I always read the label. It is truly shocking what manufacturers and supermarkets get away with.

You owe it to yourself, 29 Jun 2007
You owe it to yourself to scare yourself silly with this book.

Cheap food is good, right? Uh-oh. Everything 'cheap' is being paid for somewhere along the line - either in quality, or in pitiful wages for the workers, or in environmental damage.

You will never buy a washed salad pack again.

Recommended, 14 Jun 2007
Good book with lots of chunks I wanted to copy and forward on to folks. Chapters focus on ingredients and their production/marketing/adulteration. Everything on the shelves in the supermarket is adulterated, far worse than the horror scares in the 1800s, and yet the deceit surrounding the practice is much better managed these days. :(

Not... is *way* better (and more sympathetically) written than The Great Food Gamble which I also recently read on a bookring. This is as good as Fast Food Nation, and as relevant.

READ THIS BOOK if you care about your family and yourself, 25 Jan 2007
If you are conscious about your eating habits, and you probably are if you are looking at this book, then this will be an interesting read. Some things might not be totally new, but it certainly clarifies some things.

The examples given are focused on the U.K. food market, but it certainly translates to Europe in general.

There are some things you can easily change in your eating habits and the book is not too idealistic. In fact it helps to set realistic goals and even if you don't want to change anything ... at least be aware unless you want to stay ignorant.

A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:

This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).

I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.

I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.

Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.

Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side!

Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library!

Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs).

This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before.

One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.

This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.

Great fun- tasty like the drinks, 17 Dec 2007
How one idea, three guys, a shed load of fruit and endless energy created on of the most innovative, and healthiest companies in the UK. Innocent was founded in 1998 by three Oxford grads, in 2007 it was the fastest growing food and drink business in the UK. Smoothies, are basically combinations of fresh fruit and fruit juice- an instant hit of vitamins to the system. Before innocent they were virtually unknown outside the kitchens of the health conscious- freshly squeezed organe juice was about as good as it got. Across the Atlantic however smoothies have been a hit for middle class office workers for years. The boys from innocent took, gave it a cheeky marketing spin and took the UK by force. Simmons looks in detail at how a seriously focused, commercially driven business can take a stagnant sector such as non alcoholic drinks and through a combination of good product, detailed gorilla style marketing, and hard but fair deal making can make a profit, expand and stick to their core ethical principals and have a green outcomes.- healthier consumers switching to a lower footprint product. It's a great easy read that cannot fail to inspire, and build respect both for the innocent team and their products, as well as have you laughing with the jokes and cheek of the labelling and marketing.

What Happens Next?, 11 Aug 2007
John Simmons writes with clarity and simplicity so that you almost feel as if you haven't read a business book; it was all too easy. Then again, you look back and realise you've learned much more about the business than if you'd struggled through a business report twice the length.
But now innocent have launched a break-away brand, This Water, and the Fruitstock Festival has turned into the Village Fair; we need an update.
What interests me is - according to John's description of their meticulous and lengthy planning process - that innocent must have been plotting their new developments while they were telling John about their recent history. These innocent chaps are wise indeed.
That's the problem with describing a moving target and the only reason I give the book a four and not a five. I need to know the thinking behind the This Water brand, why they moved on from Fruitstock. Bring out the update and I'll give it a 4.5.
But as a history of the brand's first few years, I'd recommend this for all your MBA case studies. Reading it as probably as close as you'll get to the interviewing the founders and Dan4.

Nothing but nothing but inspiring, 27 Apr 2007
As one of those people who, like so many others, once walked into a copywriting workshop clutching an Innocent bottle in my hand as though it was an elixir of creative wonder, before reading it out to the class - I was rather excited (not to mention a smidgen envious) when I heard this book was being written.

Happily, it's a really entertaining read, which I devoured in only a few sittings. What's so nice is the way Simmons' own enthusiasm for the brand shines through, as he leads us on a guided tour through Fruit Towers and the story of Innocent; from its humble beginnings in the much-fabled land of `yes' and `no' bins, through to its humbler still existence today as Britain's fastest growing food and drinks company. From the dancing grass vans and the banana phone, to the fruitstock festival, and to the almost bloody-minded optimism which bounces through Innocent's whole approach to things... it's all there. And like the smoothies themselves, this book leaves you feeling uplifted and charged, fresh with the knowledge that simple goodness, optimism and honesty really can triumph above cynicism.

I can't remember the last time I read a non-fiction book so quickly, or came across one so `unputdownable'. Maybe it's partly because the content was so interesting, but it's also got to be down to the engaging openness of the author's style. As in all his other books, he writes with a simple charm that isn't a million miles away from the natural, funny tone running through Innocent's own voice.

As well as a comprehensive history of the brand and its people, there are many other lovely treats inside. There's a gallery of the best and most read-aloud labels over the years. There are the Innocent company values, and the seven great pillars of wisdom which define what they're all about. Hell, there's even a wee-ometer. But best of all, there are two small but very important words to take away with you: Dan Germain's simple philosophy of `think little'. Because in the end what matters most to Innocent, and what makes them stand out from the masses, are the little details*.

So anyway, to sum up... If you've ever:

a) laughed your head off while looking at the side of an Innocent
bottle (or the underside for that matter);
b) wondered just how Innocent have done what they've done; or
c) you'd just like to know what on earth a `chatwich' is...

...then chances are you'll think this book well worth its cover price (which is after all only the cost of approximately 3 and a half thickies)


* That, and knowing that their mums are happy.


This book changed how I think about business, 02 Feb 2007
You know when a book is so good that you have to keep putting it down and look out the window or something - just to try to contain your excitement?

I've read an unhealthy amount about branding, writing, marketing and management -and this relatively short (charmingly written) book, in one single story about one (amazing) company, has taught me more about branding, writing and how those two things can define and direct a business than all the rest put together.

John Simmons shows you that your brand and how you articulate your brand are one and the same thing. He shows you that writing can permeate every part and every stage of an organisation, so that everyone in your business (your colleagues, your customers, your suppliers, your investors, the media - everyone) will know what you do and who you are - and like you all the more for it.

Like his other books (We, Me, Them & It, The Invisible Grail, Dark Angels etc), this is about bringing honesty and humanity to work through your actions and through your words. It's about talking to and thinking about people in a way that not only genuinely reflects who you are, but helps shape and define who you are at the same time. The lesson I took away was this: Get the big picture through your brand, then really do sweat the details - from the way you write your company rule books (yes, Innocent do have them), to the way you answer the phone.

If you already know Innocent's 'tone of voice' (the words they use and the way they use them), you might imagine that while all this might work when you're writing a list of ingredients on the side of a smoothie, when you're dealing with things like supply chain logistics or complex marketing strategy, it all ends up sounding like a bunch of ill-thought-out, homespun truisms. Don't you believe it, there's more clarity, focus, direction and simplicity resulting from the approach written about in this book than I've ever seen before.

If you want to improve your writing, read it. If you want to run a better business, read it. If you want to see that the world of marketing, branding and consultancy (for all its evils) has at least produced the three innocent founders and the author of this book, read it.

A great, great brand story - I genuinely couldn't more highly recommend it.

Plain speaking, 30 Jan 2007
As the inventor of the concept of 'tone of voice' there are few people better qualified to tell Innocent's story than John Simmons. Innocent have built their brand on language: simple, humorous, heartfelt, principled language that sets them a pole apart from so much of what appears on the supermarket shelves these days. John Simmons tells their story - from simple fruit juice stall to the UK's fastest growing food and drink company - with the same appealing directness, and by the time you reach the end it's hard not to admire them even more. This great brand story will be around for a very long time to come.


Probably the best reference on food around, 21 Jun 2000
20 years work and 2650 entries. Alan Davidson has long been my favourite food author and this confirms it.

A simply excellent reference book, and readable with it., 11 May 2000
This is a great book for both reference, and just to browse through when the mood takes. The content is clear and concise, and as an amateur food writer, it has never failed to yield the information I needed when researching a subject. The entries are by no means exhaustive but gives enough to certainly use as a basis for further research, or indeed just settle an argument with a friend!

Very much worth reading for any lover of food, 28 Dec 1999
If you are like me - you like food -, then you will enjoy this book a lot. It might be of practical value to your daily life now and then, but I think that this is not its strong point. It is an excellent volume to browse at random, or to look up a fact about a particular foodstuff that you always wanted to know. It is very pleasant book to read in any respect. The lay-out is beautiful, something that has become rare these days. The authors (it's not just Alan Davidson alone) write in a very accessible way, so that I can recommend this work to non-native speakers of English (like myself) as well.

An outstanding compilation of everything to do with food., 01 Dec 1999
This is a remarkable book, highly readable, endlessly fascinating and an essential addition to every foodie's library. It is not only the sort of book that is a delight to browse through while eating solitary breakfasts, but a book that comes out over dinner when food is part of a serious discussion. There are minor errors to be found in descriptions of more obscure regional dishes; for example the Northeast Brazilian dish 'Vatapa' which is a thick nut based sauce is confused with 'Mocequa' , a seafood casserole which it usually accompanies. However this is minor carping for a book containing such a depth and breadth of food knowledge.

Excellent (times 20) -- by Emma Cookson, 20 Nov 1999
Alan Davidson is my grandfather and has been writing this book for twenty years, way before I was even born. I'm thirteen, so he started writing it when I was minus seven years old. I have read lots of his entries on an enormous range of different topics - from Aardvark to Zucchini. I can assure you that my grandfather really knows an awful lot about foods from all over the world and throughout human history. He writes in a really amusing and interesting way. I recommend this book to you, not only as a reference work, but as a source of endless amusement and surprise. It may interest you to know that whenever I am in a restaurant with him and my grandmother, he always seems to order the best dishes (putting his knowledge to good use, I see).

We need more men Like Mark Thomas, 16 Nov 2008
No one else seems to have the cohones of this man, I applaud him, for both his tenacity, but also for his humor in the face of so much global misery, having recently seen his live show as well I have even more admiration for him, buy this book and admire the man that dares to go up against big business and Governments.

An expose of globalisation, as much as a book about Coke, 04 Nov 2008
I've always liked Mark Thomas' brand of protest politics, investigative journalism and stand-up comedy, so I was interested to see he has taken on the mighty Coca Cola empire.

My first impressions of this particular book though, are two-fold: firstly, that's a terrible name. Secondly, it's a terrible cover. Still, it's the writing inside that counts, and all is well on that front.

`Belching out the devil' chronicles a series of journeys to various parts of the world to meet those who have experienced `the Coke side of life'. There are Indian farmers with empty wells, Colombian trade unionists with collections of death threats, hassled Mexican shopkeepers who committed the unforgivable sin of stocking rival brand `Big Cola' in their fridges. Thomas does a great job of portraying these characters, giving them faces and names and vividly describing their communities, interspersing their stories with his own amusing travel writing.

Coca Cola get the right to reply, and a pattern rapidly emerges: because Coca Cola operate a franchise system, their back is always covered. "The Coca Cola Company does not own or operate any bottling plants in Colombia" has always, famously, been their answer to accusations of union busting, even to the point where 7 union organisers were killed at one bottling plant. They are able to say the same of the bottlers in India who are lowering the water table, or the ones employing children in El Salvador.

As Thomas says, "no matter where the human rights abuses occurred, if it's your name on the label then you're responsible for sorting it out." Unfortunately this could be said of almost every major corporation, from oil companies to high street fashion houses. Brands should not be allowed to hide behind middle men.

In the end,`Belching out the devil' is really an expose of branding, of globalisation and its winners and losers, using Coca Cola as a case study. As such, despite the title and the cover, it's rather good.

Bad corporation, 02 Nov 2008
This is an educational and and enjoyable read even though the story is about the blighted lives of people on different continents at the hands of coke.
Mark exposes the staunch anti union attitudes of the company, the damage they cause to the environment and the lies they tell when fingers are pointed at them, not to mention the bully-boy tactics when their grasp on the market is threatened.
It's only sugary water after all.


Not all sweetness and sugar, 11 Oct 2008
Reading any of Mark Thomas's books, articles, or even watching an episode of the television series that preceeded them always leaves me feeling angry, depressed and with a real frustration that I am doing little to make the world a better place. So it was with some trepidation that I finally picked up Belching Out The Devil. I was also concerned that as a conscientious consumer who already avoids Coca-Cola that the book would merely be preaching to the converted (me).

Belching Out The Devil brings you on a journey around the world, tackling the many issues that blacken the Coca-Cola brand; the infringement on workers rights, the environmental impact and drought caused by the bottling plants and the pure disregard that The Coca-Cola Company has for the communities it inhabits. It is an easy read packed with hard hitting facts, humour and pop culture references which help you connect with the author, meaning that he becomes a character in his own book rather than assuming the role of preacher. It is well researched and leaves no hole for Coca-Cola to wiggle through. At all times Coca-Cola are asked to respond to Mark Thomas's allegations and at all times his questions are greeted with frustrating PR spiel, there is a hope that if Coca-Cola learn anything from this book it would be to stop making excuses and actually commit themselves fully to the corporate social responsibility they espouse.

There is no call to action in Belching Out The Devil but it does leave you with the sensation of needing to do something, weather it be a boycott or just awareness raising amongst those you know. Some of the stories contained within are reassuring proof that it is possible for one person to make a difference.

problems of sugary caramel water, 03 Oct 2008
Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola

The author offers a honest and unbiased account of a journey across the globe to find the truth behind coca-cola. The writing style is warm and entertaining packed with interesting facts which bring you to really question what else you could have with your whisky. Belching out the devil offers a clear and concise account of the sociological, economical and political problems coca-cola brings to communities when it sets up business. I will never drink coca-cola ever again, and I hope you wont either.

CHEMICALS - WE ARE ALL MADE OF CHEMICALS!, 19 Jul 2008
Along with may other such publications, this embraces the view that, setting aside the very valid exploitation issues, anything relating to "CHEMICALS" are nasty and damaging!

We are all made up of a variety of chemicals - the very elements that are needed to build both us as humans and all that surrounds and feeds us.

Furthermore, the over-sanitisation of our world has lead to so many allergic reactions as we have not built up the antibodies that our forefathers did naturally. And our intervention into "lesser-known civilisations" has brought them new biological hazards for which they have no natural defence.

Basically the book just serves as yet another tirade against multiple food retailers - some of whom DO really care about production methods

Changed my life, 09 Dec 2007
My whole outlook on the food I eat, what I buy and where I buy has changed after reading this book. I started reading on the Friday and was finished by the Sunday. I no longer go to supermarkets, I seek out good local shops that sell quality foods. I buy organic wherever possible. I avoid process foods and I always read the label. It is truly shocking what manufacturers and supermarkets get away with.

You owe it to yourself, 29 Jun 2007
You owe it to yourself to scare yourself silly with this book.

Cheap food is good, right? Uh-oh. Everything 'cheap' is being paid for somewhere along the line - either in quality, or in pitiful wages for the workers, or in environmental damage.

You will never buy a washed salad pack again.

Recommended, 14 Jun 2007
Good book with lots of chunks I wanted to copy and forward on to folks. Chapters focus on ingredients and their production/marketing/adulteration. Everything on the shelves in the supermarket is adulterated, far worse than the horror scares in the 1800s, and yet the deceit surrounding the practice is much better managed these days. :(

Not... is *way* better (and more sympathetically) written than The Great Food Gamble which I also recently read on a bookring. This is as good as Fast Food Nation, and as relevant.

READ THIS BOOK if you care about your family and yourself, 25 Jan 2007
If you are conscious about your eating habits, and you probably are if you are looking at this book, then this will be an interesting read. Some things might not be totally new, but it certainly clarifies some things.

The examples given are focused on the U.K. food market, but it certainly translates to Europe in general.

There are some things you can easily change in your eating habits and the book is not too idealistic. In fact it helps to set realistic goals and even if you don't want to change anything ... at least be aware unless you want to stay ignorant.

A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:

This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).

I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.

I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.

Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.

Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side!

Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library!

Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs).

This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before.

One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.

This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.

Great fun- tasty like the drinks, 17 Dec 2007
How one idea, three guys, a shed load of fruit and endless energy created on of the most innovative, and healthiest companies in the UK. Innocent was founded in 1998 by three Oxford grads, in 2007 it was the fastest growing food and drink business in the UK. Smoothies, are basically combinations of fresh fruit and fruit juice- an instant hit of vitamins to the system. Before innocent they were virtually unknown outside the kitchens of the health conscious- freshly squeezed organe juice was about as good as it got. Across the Atlantic however smoothies have been a hit for middle class office workers for years. The boys from innocent took, gave it a cheeky marketing spin and took the UK by force. Simmons looks in detail at how a seriously focused, commercially driven business can take a stagnant sector such as non alcoholic drinks and through a combination of good product, detailed gorilla style marketing, and hard but fair deal making can make a profit, expand and stick to their core ethical principals and have a green outcomes.- healthier consumers switching to a lower footprint product. It's a great easy read that cannot fail to inspire, and build respect both for the innocent team and their products, as well as have you laughing with the jokes and cheek of the labelling and marketing.

What Happens Next?, 11 Aug 2007
John Simmons writes with clarity and simplicity so that you almost feel as if you haven't read a business book; it was all too easy. Then again, you look back and realise you've learned much more about the business than if you'd struggled through a business report twice the length.
But now innocent have launched a break-away brand, This Water, and the Fruitstock Festival has turned into the Village Fair; we need an update.
What interests me is - according to John's description of their meticulous and lengthy planning process - that innocent must have been plotting their new developments while they were telling John about their recent history. These innocent chaps are wise indeed.
That's the problem with describing a moving target and the only reason I give the book a four and not a five. I need to know the thinking behind the This Water brand, why they moved on from Fruitstock. Bring out the update and I'll give it a 4.5.
But as a history of the brand's first few years, I'd recommend this for all your MBA case studies. Reading it as probably as close as you'll get to the interviewing the founders and Dan4.

Nothing but nothing but inspiring, 27 Apr 2007
As one of those people who, like so many others, once walked into a copywriting workshop clutching an Innocent bottle in my hand as though it was an elixir of creative wonder, before reading it out to the class - I was rather excited (not to mention a smidgen envious) when I heard this book was being written.

Happily, it's a really entertaining read, which I devoured in only a few sittings. What's so nice is the way Simmons' own enthusiasm for the brand shines through, as he leads us on a guided tour through Fruit Towers and the story of Innocent; from its humble beginnings in the much-fabled land of `yes' and `no' bins, through to its humbler still existence today as Britain's fastest growing food and drinks company. From the dancing grass vans and the banana phone, to the fruitstock festival, and to the almost bloody-minded optimism which bounces through Innocent's whole approach to things... it's all there. And like the smoothies themselves, this book leaves you feeling uplifted and charged, fresh with the knowledge that simple goodness, optimism and honesty really can triumph above cynicism.

I can't remember the last time I read a non-fiction book so quickly, or came across one so `unputdownable'. Maybe it's partly because the content was so interesting, but it's also got to be down to the engaging openness of the author's style. As in all his other books, he writes with a simple charm that isn't a million miles away from the natural, funny tone running through Innocent's own voice.

As well as a comprehensive history of the brand and its people, there are many other lovely treats inside. There's a gallery of the best and most read-aloud labels over the years. There are the Innocent company values, and the seven great pillars of wisdom which define what they're all about. Hell, there's even a wee-ometer. But best of all, there are two small but very important words to take away with you: Dan Germain's simple philosophy of `think little'. Because in the end what matters most to Innocent, and what makes them stand out from the masses, are the little details*.

So anyway, to sum up... If you've ever:

a) laughed your head off while looking at the side of an Innocent
bottle (or the underside for that matter);
b) wondered just how Innocent have done what they've done; or
c) you'd just like to know what on earth a `chatwich' is...

...then chances are you'll think this book well worth its cover price (which is after all only the cost of approximately 3 and a half thickies)


* That, and knowing that their mums are happy.


This book changed how I think about business, 02 Feb 2007
You know when a book is so good that you have to keep putting it down and look out the window or something - just to try to contain your excitement?

I've read an unhealthy amount about branding, writing, marketing and management -and this relatively short (charmingly written) book, in one single story about one (amazing) company, has taught me more about branding, writing and how those two things can define and direct a business than all the rest put together.

John Simmons shows you that your brand and how you articulate your brand are one and the same thing. He shows you that writing can permeate every part and every stage of an organisation, so that everyone in your business (your colleagues, your customers, your suppliers, your investors, the media - everyone) will know what you do and who you are - and like you all the more for it.

Like his other books (We, Me, Them & It, The Invisible Grail, Dark Angels etc), this is about bringing honesty and humanity to work through your actions and through your words. It's about talking to and thinking about people in a way that not only genuinely reflects who you are, but helps shape and define who you are at the same time. The lesson I took away was this: Get the big picture through your brand, then really do sweat the details - from the way you write your company rule books (yes, Innocent do have them), to the way you answer the phone.

If you already know Innocent's 'tone of voice' (the words they use and the way they use them), you might imagine that while all this might work when you're writing a list of ingredients on the side of a smoothie, when you're dealing with things like supply chain logistics or complex marketing strategy, it all ends up sounding like a bunch of ill-thought-out, homespun truisms. Don't you believe it, there's more clarity, focus, direction and simplicity resulting from the approach written about in this book than I've ever seen before.

If you want to improve your writing, read it. If you want to run a better business, read it. If you want to see that the world of marketing, branding and consultancy (for all its evils) has at least produced the three innocent founders and the author of this book, read it.

A great, great brand story - I genuinely couldn't more highly recommend it.

Plain speaking, 30 Jan 2007
As the inventor of the concept of 'tone of voice' there are few people better qualified to tell Innocent's story than John Simmons. Innocent have built their brand on language: simple, humorous, heartfelt, principled language that sets them a pole apart from so much of what appears on the supermarket shelves these days. John Simmons tells their story - from simple fruit juice stall to the UK's fastest growing food and drink company - with the same appealing directness, and by the time you reach the end it's hard not to admire them even more. This great brand story will be around for a very long time to come.


Probably the best reference on food around, 21 Jun 2000
20 years work and 2650 entries. Alan Davidson has long been my favourite food author and this confirms it.

A simply excellent reference book, and readable with it., 11 May 2000
This is a great book for both reference, and just to browse through when the mood takes. The content is clear and concise, and as an amateur food writer, it has never failed to yield the information I needed when researching a subject. The entries are by no means exhaustive but gives enough to certainly use as a basis for further research, or indeed just settle an argument with a friend!

Very much worth reading for any lover of food, 28 Dec 1999
If you are like me - you like food -, then you will enjoy this book a lot. It might be of practical value to your daily life now and then, but I think that this is not its strong point. It is an excellent volume to browse at random, or to look up a fact about a particular foodstuff that you always wanted to know. It is very pleasant book to read in any respect. The lay-out is beautiful, something that has become rare these days. The authors (it's not just Alan Davidson alone) write in a very accessible way, so that I can recommend this work to non-native speakers of English (like myself) as well.

An outstanding compilation of everything to do with food., 01 Dec 1999
This is a remarkable book, highly readable, endlessly fascinating and an essential addition to every foodie's library. It is not only the sort of book that is a delight to browse through while eating solitary breakfasts, but a book that comes out over dinner when food is part of a serious discussion. There are minor errors to be found in descriptions of more obscure regional dishes; for example the Northeast Brazilian dish 'Vatapa' which is a thick nut based sauce is confused with 'Mocequa' , a seafood casserole which it usually accompanies. However this is minor carping for a book containing such a depth and breadth of food knowledge.

Excellent (times 20) -- by Emma Cookson, 20 Nov 1999
Alan Davidson is my grandfather and has been writing this book for twenty years, way before I was even born. I'm thirteen, so he started writing it when I was minus seven years old. I have read lots of his entries on an enormous range of different topics - from Aardvark to Zucchini. I can assure you that my grandfather really knows an awful lot about foods from all over the world and throughout human history. He writes in a really amusing and interesting way. I recommend this book to you, not only as a reference work, but as a source of endless amusement and surprise. It may interest you to know that whenever I am in a restaurant with him and my grandmother, he always seems to order the best dishes (putting his knowledge to good use, I see).

Americans eating the world, 30 Jul 2008
Everyone knows about the portions of food in America. And something needs to change. These fat, greedy, overeaters need to stop shoveling food into their faces while others starve to death!!! It's disgusting!

We need more men Like Mark Thomas, 16 Nov 2008
No one else seems to have the cohones of this man, I applaud him, for both his tenacity, but also for his humor in the face of so much global misery, having recently seen his live show as well I have even more admiration for him, buy this book and admire the man that dares to go up against big business and Governments.

An expose of globalisation, as much as a book about Coke, 04 Nov 2008
I've always liked Mark Thomas' brand of protest politics, investigative journalism and stand-up comedy, so I was interested to see he has taken on the mighty Coca Cola empire.

My first impressions of this particular book