In choosing to write about Dr. Kellogg's Sanitarium, Boyle has found a topic perfectly suited to his brand of humor. If his wit seems incongruous when applied to some of the situations in other novels, the scene in Battle Creek could only be discussed in Boyle's satirical style. The film version of the novel contains a Keystone Cops sequence, and the audio version includes ragtime music. Boyle has succeeded in writing a valid period piece that is adaptable to any medium.

1. Are the similarities between the breakfast cereal industry at the beginning and end of the twentieth century readily apparent, or should Boyle have made the connection explicit?

2. Is the reference to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle gratuitous, or does it provide a useful context for Boyle's own commentary about American society during Sinclair's time?

3. What are the present-day equivalents of such false sciences as phrenology, which...