Anyone that has followed my blog for some time knows that I don’t have a very good relationship with Vani Hari, aka the Food Babe. After an initial post criticizing Hari’s methods, I wrote a more detailed look at how she brings campaigns against companies and then still refuses to endorse their products when they cave to her demands. She sent me a message asking me to remove the post because it was supposedly slanderous (and if you’re clever, you can find Hari’s comments as “anonymous” too). Of course, I kept the post up and called her bluff, but there’s no denying that I’m not Hari’s biggest fan.
When I saw she was releasing a book, which debuted in February of 2015, I was absolutely appalled. As if the world needs the Food Babe’s ridiculous claims and criticisms memorialized in print.That’s why I was so happy to hear that Fear Babe: Shattering Vani Hari’s Glass House was being released – The Food Babe Way is a highly flawed book that necessitated a sensible and comprehensive response.
I was even more thrilled when I was given an advanced copy of the book to read it and write this review. When I first thought to review the 400+ page book, I figured I would focus on the sections important to agriculture, particularly Hari’s accusations against genetically modified crops and pesticides. After all, those are the topics that tend to impassion my dislike of Hari’s methods and would most resonate with my readers. However, when I flipped to the first chapter and started reading, I was immediately hooked. I ended up reading the entire book in one weekend. All 434 pages worth.
For all of Food Babe’s investigative findings, indignation, and outrage at the food industry, the authors of Fear Babe accomplish a quick, easy, and straightforward debunking of her claims one-by-one. From aspartame to MSG to caramel coloring, each of Food Babe’s opinions are directly challenged with science and explanations of what Hari gets wrong. Even better, the authors keep it simple to process for the layman with easy-to-digest and straight-forward language that any reader can grasp and, hopefully, explain to others.
But the authors of Fear Babe didn’t stop there. The remainder of the book tackles some of the bigger issues surrounding how Hari manipulates her followers into adhering to her message, additional thoughts on popular food topics (such as, what really makes us fat?), and some real life blogging examples. My favorite chapter, no surprise, is about genetically modified crops, in which the authors take an in-depth look at GMO labeling initiatives, exposing the truth about the organizations and individuals behind them. (Hint: It isn’t about food safety.)
The best part, is that they manage to take the fear out of Food Babe’s claims. As you can imagine, I do highly recommend this book. It will grab your attention and keep it. Fear Babe is an excellent choice for anyone interested in the current discussions about the world’s food supply, or searching for honest, reliable information on food science.
If you would like to pre-order a copy of Fear Babe, you can do so now on Amazon by clicking here.
