Gulp

The word gulp is a short, one syllable word that like a lot of English words can be a noun or a verb. In the hands of the writer Mary Roach, if you say the word gulp, you've said a mouthful.

'Gulp' is the name of her latest book, and quite honestly, I have little intention of reading it. I will pick it up when I hover over the bookstore table, but I'm sure I won't shell out money for it, or even borrow it, or check it out of the library.

The cover of the book is an arresting picture of a human mouth with no upper cavities. It bears a strong resemblance to a Rolling Stone tour, an amusement park ride entrance, or a hippopotamus saying "ah." The entertainer Martha Raye, who I would see on the Ed Sullivan show, seemed to be able to open her mouth that wide. The things that make us laugh.

So why even mention this? Because I'd recommend the book for people who read a lot. I read too slowly to take in the latest and acclaimed. So, I do the next best thing, and read about books a good deal. Lots of reviews. And here Ms. Roach seems to be enjoying the best of opinions.

She's even appeared on the Jon Stewart show, an attractive, perky, trim, woman, who moves her hands like a symphony conductor when she talks. And she's quite funny and expressive, as I'm guessing her book is. If she were an English teacher at my all-boys high school there would surely be a clique of infatuated Lotharios who would want to date her. I say that, because there were certainly enough guys who seemed to be hitting on Miss Neiderdorfer in the 60s when my English class was over.

Mary's book gets a thoroughly entertaining review by Janet Maslin in the NYT. How hundreds of pages can be used to describe human eating and digesting and not be a medical text is beyond me. On the Jon Stewart show, Ms. Roach, led on by Mr. Stewart, takes us from the point of entry, the mouth, (there is another) and somewhat describes how whatever we chew is softened and reshaped cylindrically to allow swallowing. This has direct bearing on hot dog eating contests, and why there are no famous hamburger eating contests.

So, I've already got all I need. Just like Russell Baker's book review of Jim Sterba's 'Nature Wars' in the New York Review of Books where I learn that Canadian geese foul our grasses at least once every 12 minutes because of an unsophisticated digestive tract, I learn the logistics of how that many hot dogs can be consumed at Nathan's on July 4th. I'm set for the company when they come over.

And my guess is, if you read 'Gulp' you'll have even more goodies to talk about.

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