Wow, that’s one messed-up family.

"Sweet and Low: A Family Story" is, as the title suggests, the story of the family of the guy who invented Sweet’n Low. I didn’t realize when I picked the book up that the author, Rich Cohen, is a member of the family. He’s the son of the disinherited daughter. The connection gave him access that a non-relative would be unlikely to have, but it stands to reason that the book comes off as somewhat bitter, and I suspect that it might be a little skewed. The family comes off as loony at best, manipulative and criminal at worst.

Cohen’s writing is conversational, and it’s a breezy read even through the parts about the IRS, the indictments and the depositions. The book sealed my distaste for artificial sweeteners, and it made me very happy not to be a member of the Sweet’n Low family.