Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars - The Emperors of Chocolate

The Emperors of Chocolate tells the story of how Milton Hershey and Forrest Mars battled for the stomachs of chocolate consumers all over the world. When i came into this book i was expecting to learn about the exciting minds of Milton Hershey, and Forrest Mars and how they rose to the top of this industry. After reading this book i learned more then i expected about the two multi-million dollar corporations. The author Joel Glenn Brenner does a great job of exploiting the differences between the two industry tyrants.

I highly recomend that anyone who is trying to learn about the great entrepreneurial skills that it takes to start a business read this book

I think that this book was very interesting. It made me have a different idea on how candy (especially chocolate) is made. There were many interesting facts that I did not know before reading this book. For example, Mars does not only make candy, but also sells dog food and pizza in other countries.

This book was fascinating! It's more than an expose-it's part social history and part biography of two great visionaires, Forrest Mars and Milton Hershey. Chock full of intersting factoids. Learning about the secret to Hershey Kisses and how they used to be wrapped will knock your socks off. Wonderful read.

The Emperors of Chocolate was fantastic. I started reading it with absolutely no idea what to expect, and what I found was profoundly interesting. I would recommend this for anyone who, as I did, assumes that the candy industry is a real life version of Willy Wonka. The book is a thoroughly engrossing story describing two companies that are basically the opposite of that image, and of each other. Read it now.

The Emperors of Chocolate was a good book. When I first got the book, I thought it would be just a bunch of graphs, scales and statistics because I got it for my economics class, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I started reading it with no idea what to expect of it and I did think it was going to be really boring. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes candy. This was a great book about Mars and Hershey and some of the history of chocolate and also gives the secret of how they put the M on the M&M. I thought I wasn't going to enjoyed reading this book but it let me find out all about the chocolate business.

This book is about the ongoing battles between Mars and Hershey. These two giants of the industry control eighteen of the top twenty brands you see on your checkout stand. The companies have very different ideas on running their operations. Most people would think, as I did, that Hershey was the largest, but in fact Mars is a true world player, Hershey is not. Hershey's main coup was getting Reese Pieces as E.T.'s favorite candy away from M&M's, a true blunder by Mars. The book was fun to read, but it skipped around so much, it was hard to follow at times.

Brenner paces the book in a sort of storybook shell. She begins by unveiling the fierce yet eerily silent competition between the Hershey and Mars corporations. Hershey and Mars, two large names - yet behind the glamorous names is an impermeable curtain of secrecy. Brenner tells the story of Milton Hershey and Forrest Mars, how their fathers attempted in the candy making industry, failed and where they picked up and honed their skills to create multi million dollar industries. The readers watch the emperors of chocolate build their empires and are rewarded with savory descriptions and origins of some of the most loved candies today.

Hershey and Mars, 2 of the most financially successful companies in the world are portrayed in this informative and delightful book.
I never knew Hershey was a caring man, who gave to the community and Mars, well..other than having alot more money then Hershey , was overall a jerk who wouldnt even give his kids some of his tasty creations.
Come on, if your dad was the man behind the company who makes snicker bars and m&m's, wouldnt YOU expect something?
Well guess what, *eats a snicker bar* I can eat one without being related to a jerk. :)
Good read.

I found this book to be amazingly entertaining and easy to get through, considering I was assigned to read it for an economics class. Not only that, but i am not a reader. I could literally sit down and read this book for longish periods of time and remain interested. I don't know if that's because it's about chocolate or because of Brenner's intriguing writing style. I also found the characters very interesting, and I was really surprised to read about the school/orphanage that Milton Hershey started and gave so much to. Anyway, I recommend!

I too read this book for my economics class. Who knew there was a battle between chocolate companies? My favorite part of the book was when they were talking about the chocolate rations in soldiers backpacks during the Gulf War and World War 2 and how they had to come up with chocolate that could withstand a high temperture. Too bad they cannot make chocolate like that for civilans.
As much as I found the information intersting and I also found the book boring which is why I only gave it three stars. Maybe three was too generous. The secrets are intersting but the writing was dull.
If you plan on reading this book, have a package of Hershey kisses by your side. You will need them.

The Emperors of Chocolate, by Joel Glenn Brenner was a fascinating book that explores the world of chocolate. I honestly had no idea how much capital, labor, time and competition goes into creating the world's best candies. The author portrayes Mars and Hershey's history in such an interesting way, which makes you want to read further. I recommend this book if you want to know all the secrets behind the world's largest candy confectioners. And at last, you can finally find out what the M&M stands for.

I attended MHS (Milton Hershey School) and Mr. Hershey wasn'tonly a very shrew businessman, he was probably one of the biggestphilanthropists of his time (probably all time).
Could you imagine Bill Gates signing over his fortune to needy children? The deed of trust that was signed earlier this century is worth almost 5 Billion dollars now . . .
Now to the book... A lot of interesting tidbits of information I didn't know.... worth reading...

This book is one that will facinate many readers. You begin reading and your immediately put into the world of two competetive companies, ther struggle for success. The book goes into a detailed explanation of the people behind each company and their contributions to the chocolate indusrtry. The history behind the chocolate industry is coverted into a story that grasps the readers attention. I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in chocolate or for a buisness that is more of vigorous competition to be at the top of the industry.

I attended MHS (Milton Hershey School) and Mr. Hershey wasn'tonly a very shrew businessman, he was probably one of the biggestphilanthropists of his time (probably all time).
Could you imagine Bill Gates signing over his fortune to needy children? The deed of trust that was signed earlier this century is worth almost 5 Billion dollars now . . .
Now to the book... A lot of interesting tidbits of information I didn't know.... worth reading...

This book is one that will facinate many readers. You begin reading and your immediately put into the world of two competetive companies, ther struggle for success. The book goes into a detailed explanation of the people behind each company and their contributions to the chocolate indusrtry. The history behind the chocolate industry is coverted into a story that grasps the readers attention. I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in chocolate or for a buisness that is more of vigorous competition to be at the top of the industry.

Not a serious look, some of facts are questionable and parts of "story" and "characters" feel embellished or plastered over for continuity or consistency, but all in all, this book is well worth your money for its entertainment value. I wouldnt reference it for a book report if I had to do one on the subject though.

When people think of the candy business, they assume that it's a group of nice people in friendly competition to get people to buy their particular brand. Joel Glenn Brenner's book chronicles the truth behind this secretive and bitter industry. With exclusive access to some of the biggest insiders in the industry, Brenner gets the inside track on the sweet truth. For a Willy Wonka-esque look at candy manufacturers Mars and Hershey's, this is a great read.

The Emperors of Chocolate is a light paced read that will ensure your always reaching out for a candy bar. The balance of personal, historical, and educational facts regarding not only chocolate but the two mighty paragons of power that produce it leave you wrapped up in the book. Keep a chocolate bar handy and don't stand for an hour infront of the candy display trying to decide what to get now that you know the scoop. This book is a real must read for anyone who's ever craved the magic of chocolate.

This book was a delightfully surprising treat. This is a book i would have never picked out on my own, but i'm glad i read it. I learned really interesting and exciting facts about the inside hidden world of the chocolate industry. The book often relates to the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and the book was just as great as the movie. When I was finished, My mom read it also; she too LOVED it!! I would recomend this book to any and everyone!! READ IT!

I am a chocolate lover! So, naturally, this book caught my eye from a list in my Economic's class. I was drawn into the book from the very first pages and it got more and more interesting as I read. I learned how Hershey and Mars chocolate companies started and how they run today. This book gives the reader an insight in the chocolate war between America's favorite candy companies. I recommend all to read this book, but only under one condition, make sure there is chocolate within reach.

This is a well written and researched book. Both Mars and Hershey were fascinating in their obsessions. Mars with conquering and dominating and Hershey with creating, owning and operating an ideal community. Mars had no life or dimention outside of the Mars Company and his sons seem to have no life in or outside of the company.

The book reveals all the bitter legal and marketing fights between the two large corporations. Throughout we here of the bitter battles including one with the us milittary that the Hershey Corporation fought for until the very end even after they had formaly lost the contract. The book showed that sometimes these battle were not fought just for money but for the principal of the matter invloved. Overall the book is very informative and contains a wide weatlh of knowledge.

I thought I knew everything about chocolate and the emperors of Chocolate (Hershey and Mars). However, after reading this most exhilarating, easy to read and understand book, I realized how powerful and competitive this industry is behind its golden wrappers and chocolate kisses.

THe book started out somewhat slowly, but if you stay with it, you are in for a tasty treat. The novel picks up as Brenner discusses the differences between the two companies and the absurdities they go through to get an upperhand on the other one. In fact, they go as far as espionage to get the upperhand and creation of chocolates that will stand heat up to 140 degrees. A very interesting book!

The Emperors of Chocolate reads like a gripping novel. It's a page-turner like no other business book since Barbarians at the Gate. Brenner pulls you into this secretive, bitter world and never lets up. Full of fascinating facts about candy, about business, about the men who brought chocolate to the masses -- this book is for anyone who likes a great biography and a great read. You'll never look at the candy aisle the same way again!

The Emperors of chocolate really shows the history and corporate side of Hershey and mars. Before I read this book i didnt know very much about mars at all. I knew Hershey's for there trademark Chocolate bar but mars was a mystery. this book showed me why I didnt know much about mars. they are a secretive company. A very good book if you are into the rise of corporations.

I really enjoyed this book. It contained information about Hershey and Mars that I never would've known if I didn't read this book. From an economics point of view, there wasnt too much information, due to the companies lack of cooperation. I would reccomend this book to everyone who likes chocolate!!!

Ms. Brenner's extensive research is brought together in a most delicious way in this story of the Mars and Hershey families and companies. The soap-opera of their lives, interwoven for years, and the mysteries of the chocolate world make for very interesting, easily-digested reading.

I love discovering the great stories about today's biggest companies. I've told everyone now about Hershey supporting the world's richest orphanage and about how M&M's are really the result of cooperation between Hershey and Mars. This book is an incredible read!

I found this book very interesting. It opened my mind to whats really behind a chocolate bar and the futile war behind these treats. It was very different from any book I've ever read and I loved how in depth the author was in her covering of the chocolate world

This is a great book giving an insightful look into the world of two of the world's biggest candy companies. Not only does it reveal a chocolate war, but it gives us a real up close look at how these companies are run and how they first were created.

Excellent book for business buffs, historians, and anybody fascinated with food, and specifically anybody whose ever eaten a Hershey or Snickers bar. Easy to read and understand. Highly recommended and entertaining.

A very good book, although gets a tad confusing in some parts. When Ms. Brenner was describing the methodology of growing caocao, the pages seemed to get a bit heavy. All in all, however, a wonderful read, and absolutely terrible for my diet.

The emperers of chocolate is an extermly detailed book going into the secret world of the chocolate makers. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning all about the making of a chocolate empire, but sometimes it made me crave chocolate to much!!!!!

The Emperors of Chocolate reads like a gripping novel. It's a page-turner like no other business book since Barbarians at the Gate. Brenner pulls you into this secretive, bitter world and never lets up. Full of fascinating facts about candy, about business, about the men who brought chocolate to the masses -- this book is for anyone who likes a great biography and a great read. You'll never look at the candy aisle the same way again!

Readers will never feel the same about candy bars after consuming this fascinating account of the battle between the two largest chocolate companies in the United States. From their meager beginnings in small kitchens, Mars and Hershey now have factories