Chlorella: The Emerald Food

This text is a fast and enjoyable read that can be done in two hours or less. The book presents a brief summary of previous research on Chlorella, citing its possible benefits, in a very useful and non-technical manner. However, it reads more like two very terse, informative pamphlets strung together than a regular full blown text. The text is a single volume divided into two books- Book I and Book II. Book I deals with the proposed health benefits of Chlorella, while Book II covers research into this particular algae done over a period covering the late sixties to the early eighties. Book I gives a good history and definition of Chlorella, and elaborates at length about its nutritional composition (amino acid, fatty acid, and vitamin & mineral content)and unique attributes; however, it does not make any useful comparisons between Chlorella and other beneficial foodstuffs. Book I also explains how best to use Chlorella, and provides several recipes to help the reader get started in cooking with Chlorella. In addition, two of the companies mentioned in the first book, the Sun Chlorella Company, (the Japanese pioneer in Chlorella cultivation and marketing) and Earthrise Farms, (located in Southern California) continue do a brisk business in this green algae both nationally and internationally. Book II provides a good summary of Chlorella research up to about 1980 or so as well as a layman's introduction to the field of algae cultivation research. As such, given its 1984 publication date, the book is dated but still relevant. Book II also introduces most of the possible applications of Chlorella, from its use as a food supplement and health food to its potential use in wastewater treatment and purification and space travel. One particular topic in the second book, Chlorella and the elimination of world hunger, harks back to research performed in the sixties and seventies on what came to be known as Single Cell Protein (SCP). British, Australian and Kiwi fans of Qourn, Marmite and Vegemite, products consisting mainly of cultured yeast/fungi, are actually eating a form of SCP. Book II puts forth some interesting ideas which have unfortunately not been followed up since the mid-eighties, for one reason or another. Finally, both sections of the book include a fairly broad and detailed bibliography so that the more curious or critical reader can follow up on Chlorella on his or her own. The book does have a couple of minor drawbacks. Besides the dated nature of the material, Book I in particular needs a more stringent round of editing. Nonetheless the text still manages to be readable and informative. Second, though Book I does give a good summary of the positives of Chlorella use, Book II does not do the same. The reader has to make a mental list of the positives and negatives associated with Chlorella cultivation (and microalgae cultivation in general) on his or her own. Overall, this is a great introductory text for the curious or the informed layperson as well as those students having an interest in the algae and possessing some background in the biosciences. I personally hope that the authors follow up with an updated version which includes a summary of more recent research.

I read the book in a couple of hours. Some good background info on the Algae and its uses and health benefits. Not too many specifics. Will not teach you how to cultivate your own. The book is quite old.

I read through this book in a few hours while at work today and was blown away by the information presented. I have been taking chlorella for years on and off but now I am totally convinced that it is one of the most simple forms of perfect food. I need to stop eating meat because my body has toxic symptoms afterward and now after reading this and doing some more research I see that there are more nutrients minerals and vitamins in chlorella than all the dead carcass I have been using as filler. Yes I have taken a few years off and done the vegi route but this really helps me feel solid in my transition to a vegitarian diet for good. I want to start cultivating my own some day and take this into my landscaping work and development. Yes the info is a bit dated but I love old books anyway and I rather go the old school route when learning from the ground up and then load a few google searches on top. All in all it's really not that far from recent studies done and from other books I have found and looked through anyway. Simple, to the point and a quick read... 5 STARS HERE.... Be Well

I'm a beginning Chlorella grower. I got this book after it appeared to detail the history of chlorella cultivation and chlorella processing techniques, as well as nutritional information and product ideas. Nope. The book is split in two, each half written by one author. The first half attempts to give a history of chlorella but barely manages to fill two of these tiny pages on it. The nutritional information is not better than you can get with a google. There are no references for any of the touted benefits. There are spelling and copy/paste errors. Plenty of facts are just plain wrong. The author seems confused as to the difference between prokaryote and eukaryote, and doesn't seem to know what Spirulina is (Arthrospira platens) even though there is a section claiming to compare Spirulina and Chlorella (it does not accomplish this). Lots of New Age health nonsense. Raves about chlorophyll as a supplement, but has no evidence or references or idea why or how it could be beneficial. The 2nd half is no better. While the figures and section titles would lead one to believe these are more than cursory explanations of the topics covered. I was curious as to what type of nutrients had been used in chlorella cultivation (what forms of N, P &K and how those were obtained). In every instance that nutrients were mentioned, there was absolutely no further explanation. Reading this book alone, one would have no idea how chlorella really grows. This book gave me no useful information. It did, however, highlight the lack of real information out there abound this microaglae for human consumption. Avoid.

Product arrived and good condition and the merchant was kind to send the product in a timely fashion to me...