SKU: 99486306096

The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek

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The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek***2017 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction*** "What's more American than Corn Flakes?" Bing Crosby From the much admired medical historian ("Markel shows just how compelling the medical history can be" Andrea Barrett) and author of An Anatomy of Addiction ("Absorbing, vivid" Sherwin Nuland, The New York Times Book Review, front page) the story of America's empire builders: John and Will Kellogg. John Harvey Kellogg was one of

***2017 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction***

"What's more American than Corn Flakes?" --Bing Crosby

From the much admired medical historian ("Markel shows just how compelling the medical history can be"--Andrea Barrett) and author of An Anatomy of Addiction ("Absorbing, vivid"--Sherwin Nuland, The New York Times Book Review, front page)--the story of America's empire builders: John and Will Kellogg.

John Harvey Kellogg was one of America's most beloved physicians; a best-selling author, lecturer, and health-magazine publisher; founder of the Battle Creek Sanitarium; and patron saint of the pursuit of wellness. His youngest brother, Will, was the founder of the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, which revolutionized the mass production of food and what we eat for breakfast.

In The Kelloggs, Howard Markel tells the sweeping saga of these two extraordinary men, whose lifelong competition and enmity toward one another changed America's notion of health and wellness from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, and who helped change the course of American medicine, nutrition, wellness, and diet.

The Kelloggs were of Puritan stock, a family that came to the shores of New England in the mid-seventeenth century, that became one of the biggest in the county, and then renounced it all for the religious calling of Ellen Harmon White, a self-proclaimed prophetess, and James White, whose new Seventh-day Adventist theology was based on Christian principles and sound body, mind, and hygiene rules--Ellen called it "health reform."

The Whites groomed the young John Kellogg for a central role in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and sent him to America's finest Medical College. Kellogg's main medical focus--and America's number one malady: indigestion (Walt Whitman described it as "the great American evil").

Markel gives us the life and times of the Kellogg brothers of Battle Creek: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his world-famous Battle Creek Sanitarium medical center, spa, and grand hotel attracted thousands actively pursuing health and well-being. Among the guests: Mary Todd Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Booker T. Washington, Johnny Weissmuller, Dale Carnegie, Sojourner Truth, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and George Bernard Shaw. And the presidents he advised: Taft, Harding, Hoover, and Roosevelt, with first lady Eleanor. The brothers Kellogg experimented on malt, wheat, and corn meal, and, tinkering with special ovens and toasting devices, came up with a ready-to-eat, easily digested cereal they called Corn Flakes.

As Markel chronicles the Kelloggs' fascinating, Magnificent Ambersons-like ascent into the pantheon of American industrialists, we see the vast changes in American social mores that took shape in diet, health, medicine, philanthropy, and food manufacturing during seven decades--changing the lives of millions and helping to shape our industrial age.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 07/10/2018
ISBN: 9780307948373
Pages: 544
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.30w x 1.20d
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SKU: 99486306096

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Anjelica
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 4
Durable and Fun, Just Gets a Bit Rough
Size: Medium/Large, Color: Chopper - Large
This is a really good toy overall, especially if you have dogs that love to chew. My dogs were immediately into it—they play with it nonstop, toss it around, and stay entertained for a while, which I love. It definitely holds up better than most toys we’ve tried. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because over time it does start to fray a bit and gets a little rough, especially with heavy chewing. It’s not completely indestructible, but it still lasts longer than a lot of other toys. Overall, still a great buy and I would recommend it if your dogs need something tough but fun!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2026
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Lina
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Worthwhile!
Size: Medium/Large, Color: Turkey Day Drumstick - Large
I have a small dog with a really strong bite! Usually have to buy toys that are meant for bigger dogs. This has lasted us for what feels like forever. It does sound very heavy when dropped! My dog loves it though! Would definitely recommend!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2026
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Kelly
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Ohhh Mr. Iguana
Size: Medium/Large, Color: Illana the Iguana - Large
Mr. Iguana is a house favorite! I got my first one of these in a barkbox and my dog loved it so much, i went on the hunt for another one. Amazon saved the day! I own about 7 of these now. They are prefect for dogs just love to chew, they hold up great! And they are heavy duty, super easy to clean! My dogs are very happy, great value for the money! Doesn't have a smell, vibrant colors! Noise level is quiet, minus my dogs chewing !
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Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2025
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sec682
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 3
Not for strong chewers
Size: Medium/Large, Color: Dog Ness Monster - Large
Initially, I really liked this for my dog. She is about 8 months old and still loves to chew and destroys most toys in a few minutes. When we got this, it seemed like it would hold up for a while despite being clearly gnawed on. Unfortunately, once she focused on the softer "water" portion of the toy, that is where things went downhill with this toy. After a few short chew sessions, she was tearing chunks out of it. We had purchased a replacement since she liked the original so much, and after about 5 minutes with the replacement, she had taken enough out of the blue section that we immediately threw that one out as well. Overall while the green portion held up, the blue didn't. I can't recommend this for strong chewers.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2025
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Gary Hugo
Boise, US
★★★★★ 4
Definitely not indestructable
Size: Medium/Large, Color: Dog Ness Monster - Large, Size: Medium/Large, Color: Dog Ness Monster - Large
I have a 1-year-old toy fox terrier (Rocky, pictured). He has been chewing on this toy for seven months now; it is one of his favorites. He has been unable to seriously damage the "ocean" portion of this toy, but as you can see from the provided image, the sea serpent has not faired that well. It is missing its snout and smaller portions of the humps. My guess is that the advertiser images showing much larger dogs with "like new" versions of the toy are just that...NEW AND UNCHEWED. I have not had to clean up bits of this toy from my floor, so I assume Rocky has been swallowing them. My hope is that the yellow material of the serpent is not chemically dangerous when exposed to digestive fluids. Rocky easily destroys plush toys in a matter of days if not hours and, consumed pieces of a small microfiber blanket that he liked to toss around and play tug-of-war with (past tense as he destroyed it and has since been trashed after I began finding feces-stained undigested pieces of it lying around). Since this toy has survived seven months and has remained recognizable, I have to agree it is durable. Just beware, if my small toy fox terrier can damage the toy as pictured, expect your large breed chewer to do similar or worse damage. Also, the toy is very heavy! When Rocky drops it down a flight of stairs, it makes a MAJOR thud at the bottom, and sometimes makes me wonder if it might crack the large tile at the bottom. I cautiously recommend the product. Note the yellow frisbee in Rocky's picture. It is only a few months old and surprisingly has not suffered any chew damage despite substantial abuse. It appears to bend in the wind like a proverbial reed, evading damage by yielding to pressure.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2024

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