From the sacred fudge served to Indias gods to the ephemeral baklava of Istanbuls harems, the towering sugar creations of Renaissance Italy, and the exotically scented macarons of twentyfirst century Paris, the worlds confectionary arts have not only mirrored social, technological, and political revolutions, they have also, in many ways, been in their vanguard. Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert captures the stories of sweet makers past and present from India, the Middle East, Italy, France, Vienna, and the United States, as author Michael Krondl meets with confectioners around the globe, savoring and exploring the dessert icons of each tradition. Readers will be tantalized by the rich history of each regions unforgettable desserts and tempted to try their own hand at a timehonored recipe. A fascinating and rewarding read for any lover of sugar, butter, and cream, Sweet Invention embraces the pleasures of dessert while unveiling the secular, metaphysical, and even sexual uses that societies have found for it.