Comments: Are there too many chocolate cookbooks on the market?, because this – in spite of the cover – is not a chocolate cookbook. It includes some recipes, but also sections on spa treatments, history, sustainable development, and related books, Web sites, and companies. We may be reluctant to admit it, but we would rather eat chocolate (or cook with it) than read about it.

The chapters deal with savoring chocolate through all five senses, nutritional information and how chocolate contributes to overall wellness, sustainability, and chocolate gift-giving traditions. There are pages and pages on holding a chocolate tasting. There are 15 pages of text on the health benefits of chocolate (apparently for those needing affirmation). There are 11 pages on sustainable development, organic growth and fair-trade marketing, etc., and still more pages on chocolate history and the relationship of chocolate to holidays.

Among the recipes, some are unusual – the Chocolate Balsamic Vinaigrette and Diet Day Dip (sweetened with Equal or Splenda) among them. There are savory dishes, including Chicken with Mole Negro Sauce, and Cocoa Chili. There certainly are indulgent chocolate recipes, but we did not count the recipes for chocolate soap, body lotion, and other spa products when we tallied up the recipes. We found the overuse of the word bonbons instead of truffles or candy to be a little precious.

Don't get us wrong; this is a very good book, we just got caught up judging a book by its cover. The book is apparently meant to broaden one's horizons regarding chocolate, but perhaps we are broad enough….