Rating: 
Summary: A must have for any wannabe chef
Review: The first time I saw Good Eats on the Food Network, I thought it was a really stupid show. The second time I saw it, it caught my interest and by the third time I was hooked. This book is perfect for anyone who is addicted to the show. Rather than spending 15+ minutes of fast forwarding through the "Good Eats Marathon" VHS we made to find his technique for a particular food, it's now right at our fingertips in "I'm Just Here for the Food". The book is full of useful information about exactly what happens when you apply heat to food. And best of all, thanks to his rather dry sense of humor, it's a very enjoyable read. Instead of the classic cookbook chapters (soups, chicken, beef, pork, dessert), it is layed out by cooking type: searing, grilling, frying, etc. and each chapter has a handful of recipes with which to test your newfound knowledge. So far, we've tried several of the recipes (maybe techniques is a better word) and had exceptional results--including the best steak I've ever had in my life. Despite the fact that I'm a die hard fan, I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't seen the show. The bottom line is: THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER COOK!
Rating: 
Summary: Pretentious style and some wrong information
Review: This book is written in a jargon style which probably works well as spoken language, but -at least for me- doesn't in reading. Example: (on forms of forms of energy) "gamma rays [...] penetrate very deeply indeed, which is why nuclear weapons have a nasty reputation", or under the header "the lowdown on heat": "through the ages a lot of great gray matter has pondered the nature of heat and come up with the wrong answer". These are not slips but the entire first 12 pages are written in that style. As regarding the actual content, that the author pushes the idea of not always following recipes to the letter, but instead experimenting and substituting this for that. Even though he makes it sound like that, this idea isn't new at all, but something most people would be doing to some extent anyway. Finally an example on the same page is wrongly calculated by a factor of 1000. A "378 calorie (should be Kilocalorie) chocolate bar" will give you a lot more energy than the author states (i.e. to heat 13.3 ounces of water by 2° Fahrenheit). If that was true one could offset the weight gaining effects of a an extra chocolate bar by drinking a glass of lukewarm water afterwards. The remaining 250+ pages may be perfect but I'm not sure I'll make it.
Rating:
Summary: Food Meets Science Plus !
Review: This book is incredible ! We bought it for my husband for Father's Day in 2002 and he can still barely put if down ! We have found it to be invaluable in helping us to improve our cooking techniques. We do some pretty serious cooking for very large crowds of up to 100+ people and you have to be pretty well informed to do so. Alton is our hero !
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I was kind of disappointed with this book. It's mainly about the science behind cooking with different kinds of heat. I was hoping this book would also teach me about the science of putting different foods and/or flavors together. I did learn some new things and was entertained while doing so, but unless you are interested in the how's and why's of heating food I wouldn't rush to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Emeril may be the reason that "Food Network" caught on, but
Review: Alton Brown is one of the reasons it continues to gain subscribers! AB doesn't tout shiny copper cookware or German knives. He doesn't own a Viking stove top. His oven needs cleaning. His refrigerator has "stuff" in it that everyday people recognize.
His forte is explaining what works in cooking and then why. He shows you what to look for in equipment and how to use items more likely found in a hardware store than a Crate & Barrel to cook. Because it WORKS.
Funny, with lots to teach people about cooking.
Entertaining book for everyday cooks.
Rating:
Summary: Laugh While You Learn About Cooking
Review: I received this book for Christmas (by request) and I have thoroughly enjoyed it! At times, I have laughed out loud at Alton's enthusiasm and writing style. How I wish he had taught my classes in college. If everyone taught this way, learning would be a breeze. I love to cook and I was ready to learn more of the "why" instead of the "how". Alton is here for just this purpose. I have learned a whole new cooking style that is very enjoyable - because I know what I'm doing. I'm now not just a slave to the mighty recipe. Thank you, Alton!
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have for any Good Eats fan
Review: If you have ever found yourself wishing you could go back and watch an episode because you've forgotten the advice of Alton Brown (what sort of pan am I supposed to use? was that kosher salt or sea?) then you need this book. It's a fun read, very informative regarding food and the science of cooking, and some parts are verbatim from the show. It's not a cookbook but a book about cooking, and how to be better at it by understanding the process. Well worth the money - I'm very pleased with it. Even if you have never seen the show it's still a great book - for any chef who has ever asked "why?" when reading a recipe, or better yet "Why not??" then this book is for you - it has all the answers and explains the reasons behind those strange directions in certain recipes.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!
Review: If you like "Good Eats", you'll love this book! This is by far the best cookbook I own... not just for the recipes (which have all turned out great), but for the techniques and science of cooking that can be applied to any recipe you create. I actually read this book cover-to-cover, which I have never done with a cookbook before, and refer back to it often. This book is loaded with comical and off the wall tidbits as well, which kept be chuckling to myself throughout the book. Whether you are a pro or novice in the kitchen, you can learn a thing or two from this one, and you'll be entertained along the way!
Rating: 
Summary: A treat for the fans
Review: Whoever feels cheated by the short, 30-minute exposure to Alton Brown on the Food Network's "Good Eats" show, pick up his expansive cookbook/treatise. Always entertaining and informative... the recipes may seem a little bit of a letdown compared to the cooking science and history. Also kind of bulky for a New York teeny kitchen counter -- copy the pages you need and toss them in a slender three-ring recipe binder!
Rating:
Summary: Widsom at hand
Review: Like so many others, I'm a fan of the TV show "Good Eats" and I learn from it each time I watch it. The beauty of this book is that it IS a book, in the same spirit of the show -- but a reference volume, something to take one's time with in the first place, and to reach for when in a pinch. I don't have much more to add to the previous reviewers who get it. It's not a matter of following recipes, it's learning to cook instinctively and excellently without one. I'm personally encouraged that I'll be this good at it one day!
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