Eat this book : a year of gorging and glory on the competitive eating circuit

Journalist Ryan Nerz spent a year penetrating the highest echelons of international competitive eating and Eat This Book is the fascinating and gut-bustingly hilarious account of his journey. Nerz gives us all the facts about the history of the IFOCE (Independent Federation of Competitive Eating)--from the story of a clever Nathan's promotion that began in 1916 on the corner of Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island to the intricacies of individual international competitions, the controversial Belt of Fat Theory and the corporate wars to control this exploding sport. He keeps the reader turning the pages as we are swept up in the lives of Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, "Cookie" Jarvis, "Hungry" Charles Hardy, and many other top gurgitators whose egos and secret agendas, hopes and dreams are revealed in dramatic detail. As Nerz goes on his own quest to become a top gurgitator, we become obsessed with him as he lies awake at night in physical pain from downing dozens of burgers and learning to chug gallons of water to expand his increasingly abused stomach. Sparing no one's appetite, Nerz reveals the training, game-day strategies and after-effects of competition in this delectably shocking banquet of gluttony and glory on the competitive eating circuit. A Fascinating Journey Inside The Lucrative International World Of Competitive Eating Traces The History Of The Ifoce (international Federation Of Competitive Eating), Looks At Top Individual Competitions, And Profiles The Men And Women Who Make Their Living As Gurgitators. Prologue : Bedlam In Philly -- 1. A Carnival Barker In Training -- 2. The Gentle Gigantic Warrior -- 3. Meat Pies In Natchitoches -- 4. The Eruption Of Dale Boone -- 5. A Not-so-brief History Of Competitive Eating -- 6. The Mardi Gras Maneuver -- 7. Ed Krachie And The Belt Of Fat Theory -- 8. Corned Beef, Cabbage, And Characters -- 9. Moses Of The Alimentary Canal -- 10. The Emperor Of Ice Cream -- 11. Downing Deep-fried Asparagus -- 12. The Nader Dispute : For And Against Competitive Eating As A Sport -- 13. Escape From The Popcorn Sarcophagus -- 14. The Secessionists -- 15. Noodles And The Roman Incident -- 16. The First Couple Of Competitive Eating -- 17. On The Wing Tour With The Black Widow -- 18. The Big Daddy Of Them All : Nathan's Famous On The Fourth Of July -- 19. Lunch With The Greatest Eater Alive -- 20. Soaring On The Wings Of A Buffalo -- 21. The Godfather -- 22. Training For Gurgitory Greatness -- 23. Downing Sliders On The Krystal Circuit -- Epilogue : Wing Bowl Xiii : The End Of The Line -- Appendix. Ifoce Competitive Eating Records. Ryan Nerz.

Journalist Ryan Nerz spent a year penetrating the highest echelons of international competitive eating and Eat This Book is the fascinating and gut-bustingly hilarious account of his journey.

Nerz gives us all the facts about the history of the IFOCE (Independent Federation of Competitive Eating)--from the story of a clever Nathan's promotion that began in 1916 on the corner of Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island to the intricacies of individual international competitions, the controversial Belt of Fat Theory and the corporate wars to control this exploding sport. He keeps the reader turning the pages as we are swept up in the lives of Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, "Cookie" Jarvis, "Hungry" Charles Hardy, and many other top gurgitators whose egos and secret agendas, hopes and dreams are revealed in dramatic detail. As Nerz goes on his own quest to become a top gurgitator, we become obsessed with him as he lies awake at night in physical pain from downing dozens of burgers and learning to chug gallons of water to expand his increasingly abused stomach.

Sparing no one's appetite, Nerz reveals the training, game-day strategies and after-effects of competition in this delectably shocking banquet of gluttony and glory on the competitive eating circuit.

Journalist Ryan Nerz spent a year penetrating the highest echelons of international competitive eating and __Eat This Book__ is the fascinating and gut-bustingly hilarious account of his journey.Nerz gives us all the facts about the history of the IFOCE (Independent Federation of Competitive Eating)--from the story of a clever Nathan's promotion that began in 1916 on the corner of Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island to the intricacies of individual international competitions, the controversial Belt of Fat Theory and the corporate wars to control this exploding sport. He keeps the reader turning the pages as we are swept up in the lives of Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, "Cookie" Jarvis, "Hungry" Charles Hardy, and many other top gurgitators whose egos and secret agendas, hopes and dreams are revealed in dramatic detail. As Nerz goes on his own quest to become a top gurgitator, we become obsessed with him as he lies awake at night in physical pain from downing dozens of burgers and learning to chug gallons of water to expand his increasingly abused stomach.Sparing no one's appetite, Nerz reveals the training, game-day strategies and after-effects of competition in this delectably shocking banquet of gluttony and glory on the competitive eating circuit.