Steve Almond (like there's no correlation between names and avocation!) loves chocolate. He writes about his obsession with candy so intensely you will be craving a candy bar after the first chapter!

Almond investigates and memorializes candy in five or six different factories. To say that doesn't do the book justice, though. It's a painstakingly researched yet laugh-out-loud funny in places ode to obscure candy manufacturers.

Caveat: I think you might have to be over 30 or so to enjoy this book, because many of the candy varieties he writes about no longer exist, or are rare, like "Annabelle". If you are young enough that your favorite candies are sour fruit things, you probably won't understand his obsession with the chocolate and nut varieties he writes about in Candy Freak.

This is a fast and fun read.