The Secret Life of Chocolate

The Secret Life of Chocolate is a book about chocolate. Not the sweet, mass-produced fatty confection most of us are familiar with, though. This is about old-school chocolate--pre-Colombian, Central American, bitter-spicy-foamy-intense-blow-your-socks-off chocolate. Chocolate beverages made with roasted beans, water, spices, and indigenous plants. The book delves into the ancient history of the human relationship with the cocoa bean tree, Theobroma cacao, dissects the pharmacological properties of chocolate to the fullest possible extent, and divulges the mythical and magical associations of human interactions with this incredible plant.
Marcos Patchett is a medical herbalist and medical and horary astrologer. He is particularly interested in the practical application of astrology, which he uses primarily as an adjunct in the treatment of private herbal medicine clients. He received several academic awards while studying herbal medicine and gained the London School of Astrology's Certificate in 2006. Marcos worked as a medical herbalist in King's Cross for several years, specializing in complementary care for people living with HIV, and practiced from Neal's Yard Remedies' therapy rooms in Covent Garden for 9 years. He was also a clinical supervisor and lecturer for Middlesex University's Western Herbal Medicine BSc and MSc courses. Visit him at thesecretlifeofchocolate.com.