The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars

Rating:
Summary: Drama in the Chocolate Kingdom
Review: This insightful story of what truly takes place within America's two greatest chocolate empires is not only gripping with unexpected facts, but intuitive and sentimental in ways that are rarely seen in journalism. There's a certain level of intrigue within this novel; the way two multibillion dollar industries began as obscure, tiny confectionaries; the extreme competition and possessiveness of a company's recipes; and the utmost desire to be the number one chocolate manufacturer in the world. It's interesting not merely because of engaging prose, but because there's a slight humor in devoting a whole piece of work to chocolate. But more so, chocolate and its unknown drama. Excluding the somewhat literary embellishments, Brenner's chronological overview of how and when chocolate first became a prized entity in America takes nearly soap opera-esque proportions: Forrest Mars' unwavering, tempermental work ethic made me laugh at times because I would forget that he had been ranting about not making 20 billion as opposed to 21 billion, etc. But nevertheless, Brenner's skill is exemplified through an organized presentation of the successes and failures of the chocolate industry, while interweaving the story of Hershey and Mars in a dramatic sequence that makes you want to visit Mr. Wonka and his infamous chocolate factory.

Rating:
Summary: The Emperors of Chocolate
Review: This interesting book focuses on the two major families involved in the chocolate business: Mars and Hershey. I was told that the first chapter would be boring but found the war on contracts for selling chocolate to the military to be very fascinating and informative. The rest of the book discussed the present and future of both companies, interspersed with the historical background of their founders. The many detailed stories and anecdotes about the way chocolate is made from bean to bar made me want to eat some chocolate- and never any from Mars! The book was a quick read and a good glimpse into the cut-throat, bitter legal and marketing tactics used by both companies which, without Brenners research, we may never have known-considering the family businesses are so secretive, publicity shy.