I did not know what I was getting into with this book! It was written in 1825 (which I did not realize until I started it) and is a mix of food science of its time, anecdotes about food, and the author pondering wholly unrelated subjects (like what would happen if an astroid hit the earth). Brillat-Savarin is an incredibly compelling and witty writer, especially when read aloud; he also has some strong opinions that are quite funny to the present day (drinking water is bad, coffee in more dangerous to one's health than wine, thinking too much after eating is the leading cause of death).

The only really unpleasant part is his weird and gross section about obesity and dieting. According to the back of the book he's hailed as the father of the low carb diet, which I don't think is any kind of honor.