Discover new selections
Buy new:
-33% $12.10
FREE delivery Thursday, April 24 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$12.10 with 33 percent savings
List Price: $17.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, April 24 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tomorrow, April 20.
Only 16 left in stock (more on the way).
$$12.10 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.10
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.35
Used book in very good and clean conditions. Minor cosmetic defects may be present. Pages and cover intact. May include library marks, notes marks and highlighting. Fast Shipping Used book in very good and clean conditions. Minor cosmetic defects may be present. Pages and cover intact. May include library marks, notes marks and highlighting. Fast Shipping See less
FREE delivery April 24 - 29. Details
Or fastest delivery April 23 - 28. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$12.10 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.10
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by ZBK Wholesale.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Carol Off
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Bitter Chocolate: Anatomy of an Industry Paperback – March 4, 2014

by Carol Off (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.10","priceAmount":12.10,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"10","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"FsLzcmbHm5P40Zc1tLXcDbpqFi9b0jibTTvkxw8Ry%2BvhyWYGyP4ZGylFjR0%2FoiViO35E79quS%2FuCzvp%2BYxnhlI3NB45BvU1JC4VT9KxmxPUsnptX76z3PVNrzzzXXhuBGRHfpbhekLf1CMYp6nD7%2Fw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.35","priceAmount":5.35,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"35","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"FsLzcmbHm5P40Zc1tLXcDbpqFi9b0jib46MIaicdWILCsmnczaa40x%2F4PovFAh1NGD93OxZtPtGyyGFuiz8DhV0o66zSrKMNtGcjlYjV79xbzyACwzpxFt%2Bcrt374tMfX6c28ytDQnxqGJfFHXgY4KPIF1xjD93pgZD%2Fvww7We2oSGlgANC5R7pMcZVxiccO","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

This shocking exposé of the corruption and exploitation at the heart of the multibillion-dollar cocoa industry is “an astounding eye-opener that takes no prisoners” (Quill & Quire, starred review).
 
Bitter Chocolate is both an absorbing social history and a passionate investigation into an industry that has institutionalized abuse as it indulges our whims. Award-winning journalist Carol Off traces the fascinating evolution of chocolate from the sixteenth century banquet table of Montezuma’s Aztec court to the bustling factories of Hershey, Cadbury, and Mars. In what will be a shocking revelation to many, Off exposes how slavery and injustice remain a key aspect of its production even today.
 
In the Ivory Coast, the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans, profits from the multibillion-dollar chocolate industry fuel bloody civil war and widespread corruption. Faced with pressure from a crushing “cocoa cartel” demanding more beans for less money, poor farmers have turned to the cheapest labor pool possible: thousands of indentured children who pick the beans but have never themselves known the taste of chocolate.
 
“Bitter Chocolate is less a book about chocolate than it is a study of racism, imperialism and oppression as told through the lens of a single commodity.” ―The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    The New Press
  4. Publication date
    March 4, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781595589804
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1595589804
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Bitter Chocolate: Anatomy of an Industry
This item: Bitter Chocolate: Anatomy of an Industry
$12.10
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 24
Only 16 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Chocolate Nations: Living and Dying for Cocoa in West Africa (African Arguments)
$15.95
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 24
Only 6 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Cocoa (Resources)
$19.95
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 24
Only 11 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Bitter Chocolate:

"Bitter Chocolate is less a book about chocolate than it is a study of racism, imperialism and oppression as told through the lens of a single commodity."
―The Globe and Mail

"An astounding eye-opener that takes no prisoners in its account of an industry built on an image of sweetness and innocence, but which hides a dark and often cruel reality. You'll never look at chocolate the same way again."
―Quill and Quire (starred review)

"We know chocolate makers have their secrets―like how they get that caramel in there. That one, though, is pretty tame compared with the stuff unearthed in . . .Carol Off's new exposé, Bitter Chocolate.
―Toronto Star

In the style of Mark Kurlansky's Salt, Bitter Chocolate unravels chocolate's glittery packaging and uncovers an industry tainted by war and genocide."
―Ottawa XPress

"[Off] makes her case so strongly and with such nuanced flavour that the book becomes as hard to put down as a bar of Toblerone."
―Shared Vision

About the Author

Carol Off is a co-host of CBC radio's current affairs program As It Happens. One of Canada's leading investigative journalists, she has won numerous awards for her CBC television documentaries set in Africa, Asia, and Europe. She lives in Toronto.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1595589805
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The New Press; Reprint edition (March 4, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781595589804
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1595589804
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Carol Off

Carol Off

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
42 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Top reviews from the United States

  • MMiller
    5.0 out of 5 stars ... study of Hershey Chocolate and this book was an awesome back story to the past and current history of ...
    Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I did an in-depth study of Hershey Chocolate and this book was an awesome back story to the past and current history of chocolate. I used to think African Americans had it bad historically in the United States but not compared to the rest of the world. I would consider this a must read for history buffs as well. There is a lot of information about Central America and Western Africa and how capitalism can have a very dark side.. I for one will never look at chocolate the same again.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Carol
    5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and un-biased
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    Researching the poor working conditions in third world countries, I thought this book would only give me the history of chocolate. Instead I discovered a comprehensive look at the abuses in the cocoa sector primarily in the Cote d'Ivoire. A combination of the developed countries demand for cheap chocolate, corrupt government, corrupt police and avaricious manufacturers, the true losers are the farmers and the "indentured" workers who produce my favorite food source. Carol Off presents an unbiased look at the world's favorite confection.
    [...]
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • FlybyErin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great detailed history of chocolate
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This book gave a great and clearly well-researched history of chocolate. I've read other books about chocolate but still learned quite a lot from this one.
    Helpful
     Report
  • maureen r kenney
    4.0 out of 5 stars anything recommended by my ethics teacher is good enough for me!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    recommended by my ethics professor, haven't started yet but i'm certain it will be good!
    Helpful
     Report
  • Mary Siever
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is an eye opener and a must read if you want to know how to change your impact on the world.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Woodland Park Writer
    3.0 out of 5 stars A Bittersweet History of Chocolate
    Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2014
    I would give ‘Bitter Chocolate: The Dark Side of the Worlds’ Most Seductive Sweet’ by Carol Off 3/5 stars. The book was overall fairly well written and extremely eye opening, however, there were times where the book seemed to drag on. She stated some of the same points multiple times; this in addition to her passion on the subject gave the book a very ‘preacher’ tone. I am not a huge fan of that style in a research/ history book, so that was a definite downside for me and at it times it made the book difficult to read. Despite this flaw, the book is really quite good, it is a study of oppression and racism and it shows how dark the history of chocolate really is.

    This book caused me to debate things that I had never even thought of thinking about; it helped me to realize connections between children’s movies and reality. For example, in the most recent version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) there is a scene where Willy Wonka has a flashback of when he went to Loompa Land. He mentions how the Oompa Loompas worshipped the cocoa bean and how receiving one was a great honor. Shockingly, this is fairly accurate to how rare the cocoa bean was in some areas and how in some cultures it was considered to be such a spectacular thing.

    Another part of this book that amazed me what the corruption of the chocolate business. At one point Carol Off brought up the ‘Cocoa Cartel’, which basically stated that people wanted more cocoa beans for less money, which caused poor farmers to turn to the most inexpensive labor pool that they could think of, children and women. They ended up working in terrible conditions and were treated extremely unfairly and with such great injustice. How Carol Off told this story was spectacular, she used impeccable diction and it was clearly well thought out. This theme continued throughout the rest of the book and it changed how I view chocolate.

    Although this book had some downsides, it had a great message and the author very effectively got her point across. Leaving readers wondering if what was going on with cocoa ‘plantations’ back then could still be going on now, and having a much greater knowledge of the worlds’ most seductive sweet. I would definitely recommend buying this book, it is a great read.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Gift for a chocolate expert
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    My daughters got this for a special professor/friend at their college who is an expert on all things chocolate. He was happy to receive this gift.
    Helpful
     Report
  • jason chen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    GREAT PRICE, FAST SHIPPING. THANKS..
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars First rate writing had me captivated right thru
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    First rate writing says it all. Buy this book if you're interested in how the Chocolate industry works. You will not find much better than this one, period.
    Report
  • Adrenalin Streams
    4.0 out of 5 stars Exposing the dark and bitter side of a sweet industry
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Chocolate is a wonderful product. It makes its consumer feel good and, at its most refined, is as capable of providing all the exquisite and subtle ranges of refinement and taste as fine wine. We associate chocolate with happiness, and yet all is not sweetness and light in the chocolate industry. With this book Canadian investigative journalist, Carol Off, digs beneath the surface of the industry's smiling public face to expose the exploitative side of the business, in particular with regard to the growers of cacao, who often struggle just to live so low are their incomes. First providing a brief history of chocolate, Off then examines the historical and current behaviours of the major chocolate industry companies as well as the government and politics of the major cacao producers. It is not a pretty story. Corruption, violence and exploitation (including some child slavery) at country level are rife (and appear always to have been) in the industry. The author uses Cote d'Ivoire, the world's number one cacao producer, as her main case study, and risks her safety to travel into its cacao and political heart. Everyone involved in the industry gets criticised by Off, but this is not a book that just targets big corporations for the misery of cacao producers (the argument always being that they should simply pay cacao farmers more); the situation is much too complex for that and Off makes that crystal clear. If anything, the book is most condemnatory of the corruption and brutality of regime's such as that of Cote d'Ivoire. How to improve the lot of the cacao farmer is a difficult question to answer. At its root must be honest and stable governments in the major cacao producing countries. After that there is the question of how much companies should pay for cacao. It may be that companies are forced to pay more soon because of an impending world cacao shortage, and those that argue that you must allow the market to operate freely may feel this strengthens their case. Then there are those who feel that big companies should act more philanthropically by paying more than they need to for cacao - i.e. Fair Trade, or by guaranteeing to purchase cacao from farmers who follow sustainable methods (i.e. Rainforest Alliance). It is not my place as a reviewer to answer these questions. However, Carol Off's book exposes in a stark manner that cacao farmers in countries like Cote d'Ivoire are not in a sustainable position and one way or another something needs to be done to rectify the situation. There is no simple solution, and probably a combination of stable government, higher prices and better education of farmers is required. Of course, the chocolate consumer is also part of the equation. We may complain about poorly paid cacao producers but we still buy chocolate, and most people don't like the prices of their products going up. To slightly distort a well known phrase - you can't have your chocolate and eat it. "Bitter Chocolate" is a thought provoking work, one that attempts to provide a balanced view of the darker side of the chocolate industry. It is highly recommended as an entry book on the subject.
    Report