The End of Craving

Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well

By: Mark Schatzker

Narrated by: Gibson Frazier

The international bestseller from award-winning writer Mark Schatzker that reveals how our dysfunctional relationship with food began—and how science is leading us back to healthier living and eating.

For the last fifty years, we have been fighting a losing war on food. We have cut fat, reduced carbs, eliminated sugar, and attempted every conceivable diet only to find that eighty-eight million American adults are prediabetic, more than a hundred million have high blood pressure, and nearly half now qualify as obese. The harder we try to control what we eat, the unhealthier we become. Why?

Mark Schatzker has spent his career traveling the world in search of the answer. Now, in The End of Craving, he poses the profound question: What if the key to nutrition and good health lies not in resisting the primal urge to eat but in understanding its purpose?

Beginning in the mountains of Europe and the fields of the Old South, Schatzker embarks on a quest to uncover the lost art of eating and living well. Along the way, he visits brain scanning laboratories and hog farms, and encounters cultural oddities and scientific paradoxes—northern Italians eat what may be the world’s most delicious cuisine, yet are among the world’s thinnest people; laborers in southern India possess an inborn wisdom to eat their way from sickness to good health. Schatzker reveals how decades of advancements in food technology have turned the brain’s drive to eat against the body, placing us in an unrelenting state of craving. Only by restoring the relationship between nutrition and the pleasure of eating can we hope to lead longer and happier lives.

Combining cutting-edge science and ancient wisdom, The End of Craving is an urgent and radical investigation that “charts a roadmap not just for healthy eating, but for joyous eating, too” (Dan Barber, New York Times bestselling author of The Third Plate).

Critic reviews

"The accessible information will help struggling dieters reduce cravings by understanding the distinction between the dopamine high of wanting and the actual enjoyment of food. Its well-documented guidance will revolutionize the way people think about the dynamics of hunger and their nutritional needs."

The End of…

Overall, this book is engaging and insightful. The downfall is that it leaves readers wanting an answer. He does not give much in the way of practical answers, but instead sticks primarily to the research.

Love the science.

There is no quick fix. This is an incredible collection of the science behind eating and the history behind it. I loved it!

This author makes it make sense!

The author does a great job of breaking down how many of the foods we eat are just manufactured chemical substances. The author explains that our brains cannot recognize these mystery foods and therefore does not know how to metabolize them. The author analyzes Italy as a way to compare food consumption in America. His explanations are clear and he references relevant scientific research. Very user friendly!

Missing piece of the nutrition puzzle!

Gave an amazing walk through the history of nutrition and how seemingly small decisions have affected an entire nation. Gave an alternative view to the obesity epidemic rather than “eat less exercise more”. I loved it! It feels like a missing piece of the nutrition/obesity conversation!

Many interesting points

Wanted to make a statement about the fake meat part. It's not about meat being bad, but more about not wanting to kill animals. Many were raised on meat and we cannot unwant the flavor, but we may not want to slaughter animals. We do not judge meat eaters, it is personal choice. Cheese is a processed food, as is tofu or a veggie burger. I would love to see a vitamin/obesity study. Are all vitamins equally guilty?