I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Group. I was very excited, as I love cookbooks! I'm not sure what to think about this one, though.

The book's focus on organic and local foods and healthy eating was pleasing, but upon first glance none of the recipes really jumped out at me. They all seemed very complicated, using A LOT of ingredients, and many of those were specialty ingredients that I don't stock at home. I consider myself to be a fairly adventurous eater and a middling-to-good cook, but I'm not sure my kitchen is properly outfitted for these recipes.

It being an ARC, it is often difficult to read the grey text on a grey background -- I can only assume that in the full-color version of the book, this is different (otherwise, how can anyone really read what he has to say?)

I think, in the end, I'm not nearly as impressed by Charlie Ayers as he is with himself. Still, a friend and I have committed to trying a few of the recipes, because they come highly recommended. I'm hoping they turn out to be easier than they look! ( )

Not a cookbook I'll be reaching for. I always like to see how chefs do things, but these recipes just didn't appeal to me. I wasn't really sure why working for Google made him a chef of distinction, either. ( )

I have to confess: Meh. I would love to read an insider's take on Google's approach to software--geeky, cerebral, and elegantly simple. From this book, I was hoping for a similar look at food science. What could we learn about _food_ from the people who showed us that a UI could be one psychic box and one magic button?

Alas, _Food 2.0_ is a recipe book, and it doesn't do much to distinguish itself. ( )

The author was remarkably obnoxious. ( )

Don’t read Food 2.0’s subtitle -- “Secrets from the Chef Who Fed Google” -- and assume there will be secrets about food or about Google. And don’t read the book’s descriptions and flap copy and expect discussions of brainfood or “how eating the right foods can transform your mind and body.” I found none of it.

Rather, the first 100 pages contain mostly common reminders (choose foods locally and organically grown, minimally packaged and processed; keep nutritious snack foods readily available). Then there are ~100 recipes for smoothies, snacks, salads and sandwiches, main dishes and desserts -- about half accompanied by photographs. They include a couple dozen dishes I might sample if set before me in the Google cafe. But with most involving 10-20 ingredients, there are few recipes that tempt me enough to prepare them myself.

I love Dorling Kindersley (DK) books, but the graphic design of Food 2.0 disappointed me. As shown in the cover image, the photography is somewhat dull (washed-out) rather than DK’s usual glossy images in sharp focus. Black text on dark-colored pages provided too little contrast, and reading the text on bright-red pages burned my retinas.

I requested this book through Early Reviewers but when I didn’t snag a copy, I excitedly turned to my library. In the end, I disliked the non-substantive content. Disliked the graphic design. Disliked the recipes. Yikes! -- I have a new-found respect for the almighty ER algorithm!! ( )

This is a DK book, so there's the expected large type and plentiful images surrounded by lots of white space. Sometimes it is nice to have more text and explanation instead of caption-like quotes taken from the text on the page. At times, this reads more like a magazine.

The first part of the book is about Charlie Ayers's food philosophy; the first recipe pops up on page 108. Not to say there's a lot to wade through (see above-mentioned white space + large type). Like another reviewer, I would have preferred the philosophy to be mixed into the recipe portion, relating specific advice as the ingredients and cooking methods dictate. Commentary, such as suggestions for alternate ingredients, locating special ones (we don't all live in bountiful California), companion dishes, etc. would have been helpful.

The whole Google bit is a gimmick but there is a nice range of recipes in here with some great flavor combinations. Regardless, I don't plan on giving up my microwave any time soon, despite Charlie's advice.

Part recipe book, part insight into Google Culture, part solid advice on cooking, eating, and living with food, Food 2.0 is a fine addition to any foodie's shelf.

Charlie Ayers shows a remarkable talent for combining ingredients together into dishes that fire my imagination, and sound like they burst with flavors. I haven't had a chance to try many of the recipes yet, but I look forward to trying more of them. Not having any books on California Style Cuisine, nor having much experience with it, being from the New England region, the layering of textures and tastes is inspiring.

Although the recipes are enticing, they are only part of the book, and equally appealing is the sound recommendations on buying, storing, and using ingredients. I don't think any of this advice is unique or earth shattering, but the author's casual conveyance is more conversational and less didactic. Just because you may have heard it before doesn't mean it isn't good to hear it again.

The advance reader's copy does suffer from one overwhelming flaw, and that is that the contents of the book are entirely in black and white, but it is abundantly clear that the final edition is expected to be in color. There are places where the contrast between the text and the background makes this obvious, and as well, the very large quantity of photographs of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and dishes beg and plead to be in high quality glossy color. ( )

Cute book. The book is half food information, and half recipes. I think it would have worked better if the information was mixed in with the recipes. But instead, we get the information first. There wasn't as much discussion about being a chef at google as I would have liked. There are definitely some handy tips and tricks for the lazy cook.

This is an aesthetically pleasing book more than an informative one. There are times when you want the author to say more, but you know it would destroy the "beauty of the page".

Buy this as a cookbook, not for an information source. There are better books out there that approach the whole "organic, raw" mentality. But if you're looking for some funky recipes, and maybe a good coffee table book, this would be a good choice! ( )

This book gives those of us who wish we could work for Google a look into the yummy side of the Googlplex. The recipes are quite healthy and the preparations all seem very easy to follow. Truthfully, I haven't cooked a lot out of this book, but it has been a good browser.

The best cookbooks, in my opinion, have
a. Beautiful photographs (this has the awesome DK layout and style)
b. Stories that place the food in real life or culture (the little stories are engaging and interesting)
c. Lessons that help to move my cooking forward (the section on fermented food really got me thinking)
d. Ingredient lists I've heard of and can easily find

This book has all my favorite features of a great cookbook. I hope to find some new favorite recipes to try out on my family. ( )

I don’t normally count cookbooks as real reading material, because they’re generally more flip through and skim the recipe title type books, but at least the first half of Food 2.0 dealt more with the philosophy of why the author cooks the foods that he does, and was interesting reading material. If you didn’t already know, Google provides its employees with free lunches and dinners, and if this book represents the type of fare they’re served, I’m definitely jealous.
The author’s three major points for cooking good food are to keep it local and organic, and keep it raw, and keep it fermented. He offers a number of tips for figuring out how to buy your food this way, as well as ways to make sure you’re eating more fruits and vegetables. He also speaks to the beauty of a well-stocked pantry and fridge.
The concepts in this book aren’t necessarily that new to me (my mother has been cooking this way as much as possible for years), but I think it’s well packaged and should be a great guide to anyone trying to eat more consciously.
There are a number of recipes I’m interested to try, including the Dragon Breath Noodles, many of the salads, and the Butternut Chilijack. This is definitely a cookbook I can use. ( )

Charming. An ARC copy, so I assume they'll clean up the blank pages and repetitive quotes.

The chef has an obvious enthusiasm for feeding people well and eating well. I love the little anecdotes about feeding his wife, the pictures will be lush if they're in color and I can't wait to try making vanilla vinegar.

Well organized, easily followed instructions and a good gimmick.