Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

Do 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 the Twin 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.

Part 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.

"Hysterically funny . . . A delicious read." — People

"The verdict: Utterly irresistible." — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Combines 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

"There are people who enjoy an occasional Milky Way and then there's Steve Almond (yes, that's his real name)." — Entertainment Weekly

"I got a real sugar rush and cluster headache reading this bittersweet book by Steve Almond-joy, the sugar daddy himself. I won't sugar coat it—this book is one sweet treat." —Amy Sedaris