HAMBURGER HEAVEN: The Illustrated Guide to the...

HAMBURGER HEAVEN: The Illustrated Guide to the History of the Hamburger by Jeffrey Tennyson (Hyperion: $14.95; 128 pp.). The average American reportedly eats three hamburgers a week, and Tennyson’s upbeat study traces the history of this enduring food fad. The origins of the hamburger are lost amid contesting claims. But White Castle (founded in 1916), the first chain of burger stands, set the pattern for contemporary mega-businesses. Tennyson ignores the environmental and medical consequence of consuming so much beef and focuses on the wonderfully kitsch architecture, advertisements and memorabilia of the burger business.