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The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 313 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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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-19th to the mid-20th centuries, and who helped change the course of American medicine, nutrition, wellness, and diet.

As Markel chronicles the Kelloggs' fascinating, The 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.

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  1. Listening Length
    16 hours and 22 minutes
  2. Author
    Howard Markel
  3. Narrator
    David Colacci
  4. Audible release date
    August 8, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
  7. ASIN
    B07G2RC2B6
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 16 hours and 22 minutes
Author Howard Markel
Narrator David Colacci
Audible.com Release Date August 08, 2018
Publisher HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07G2RC2B6
Best Sellers Rank #296,254 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#588 in Biographies of Medical Professionals (Audible Books & Originals)
#904 in Biographies of Business Leaders
#1,783 in History of Medicine (Books)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
313 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book and found it interesting. They appreciated the well-written account and pacing. The book provided an informative overview of health history and the Kellogg brothers' contribution to medicine.

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ReadabilityStory tellingPacingHealth history
31 customers mention "Readability"24 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book and find it interesting. They say it's worth reading and keeps their interest.

""The Kelloggs" is not a quick read, but it's a very enjoyable, entertaining one, especially for those interested in the history of medicine,..." Read more

"...I was glued to this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it - especially knowing it was not just a story, but a true story...." Read more

"This is an ok book, it is swimming with details that I don't think were necessary. It was interesting but not necessarily and enjoyable read." Read more

"fairly tedious and repetitive of the abuse of the older brother to the younger brother...interesting though that the younger brother prevails to..." Read more

25 customers mention "Story telling"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging with its intriguing history and historical developments. They appreciate the details of the Kellogg brothers' life, family dynamics, and the origins of breakfast cereals. While some found the style tedious, others enjoyed the backstory and details about the hospital and the origins of cereals.

"A very intriguing story. The sibling rivalry fueled the younger Kellogg' s success...." Read more

"...reading it - especially knowing it was not just a story, but a true story...." Read more

"...It was interesting but not necessarily and enjoyable read." Read more

"...Many other interesting and forgotten details of history during their lives. Plan to recommend this for my book club." Read more

19 customers mention "Pacing"14 positive5 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They say it's a detailed, interesting study about the brothers. The narration is engaging and the book packs a lot of information in its pages.

"...Markel brings both men vividly to life, providing plenty of detail to show their complexity and their importance yet seldom bogging the reader down..." Read more

"...book; the writer has a nice conversational tone yet packs a lot of information in the pages...." Read more

""The Kelloggs" is not a quick read, but it's a very enjoyable, entertaining one, especially for those interested in the history of medicine,..." Read more

"...The book is an incredibly easy read; I was sucked in from page one. Howard has an amazing tone and structure to his writing...." Read more

9 customers mention "Health history"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative about health history and the Kellogg brothers. They say it covers topics like the invention of health and wellness, fast food, and medical history of the times. The book is well-written and worth reading, though it may be a bit long.

"...It deals with the invention of health and wellness, of fast food (and why that was an improvement, even health-wise), with modern business methods..." Read more

"The author did a very thoughtful, through and informative book about the Kellogg brothers...." Read more

"...birth of two important areas in American history: modern medicine with an emphasis on wellness, and modern manufacturing and advertising...." Read more

"...the early health movements of the 20th century as well as a medical history of the times." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Dr. JSH
    5.0 out of 5 stars just because he considered himself superior to most others but especially to Will Keith
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    "The Kelloggs" is not a quick read, but it's a very enjoyable, entertaining one, especially for those interested in the history of medicine, religion, food, turn-of-the-last-century United States, and/or business.

    Early on, the book's primary focus is Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who had a deeply entrenched drive to succeed (and often did), accompanied by a stellar ego and need for awe that made his patients adore him but oftentimes created a chasm between him and his family members.

    "The Kelloggs" gradually shifts from Dr. Kellogg to his younger brother Will Keith Kellogg, who also longed for success and wealth but his aspirations were continuously demeaned by John Harvey, whom Will Keith worked for (and was awfully underpaid while being denied employment perks such as vacation time) for many years.

    The book then presents John Harvey vs. Will Keith -- literally, in court. Both Kellogg brothers had food companies and claimed Kellogg's and, interestingly enough, Will Keith's signature on packaging as their own trademarks. The case lasted for 10 years, during which time John Harvey, self-claimed as the world's most famous physician, was extremely envious of the millions of dollars his younger brother's company was earning annually while his own food company sputtered along. Knowing this, John Harvey repeatedly made himself a pain in Will Keith's neck, just because he considered himself superior to most others but especially to Will Keith.
    I've known of these two Kellogg brothers stormy, icy relationship for a long time, but "The Kelloggs" made me fully aware of the brothers' dynamic and sibling rivalry (more so on John Harvey's part -- Will Keith mostly wanted John Harvey to leave him and his company alone).

    This was one of the best books I've read in 2017, and I highly recommend it to others.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • jonny quest
    4.0 out of 5 stars Who knew?
    Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A very intriguing story. The sibling rivalry fueled the younger Kellogg' s success. The older brother was in some ways ahead of his time in terms of nutrition. He certainly seemed destined to be the legend.
    I found it interesting to compare the medicine and marketing of the past to our current digital age. The seeds of what we take for granted today seem almost prehistoric, but still fascinating nonetheless.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • lisaleo (Lisa Yount)
    5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating character study of two important men
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943) and his younger brother Will Keith Kellogg (1860-1951), were an amazing pair, with larger-than-life-size virtues and flaws. They had a great deal in common, including an indefatigable work ethic and a tremendous eye for detail—at least for the details that interested them, which were different for each—yet they hated each other’s guts: biographer Markel calls them “the Battling Brothers of Battle Creek” [Michigan, where they lived] for good reason. They rightly excited tremendous admiration, but they drove their families crazy… even to actual suicide in one case.

    They were more than just interesting characters, however; they also played important parts in shaping twentieth-century America. Most notably, they reinvented the American breakfast through their creation of the ever-popular Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, but that was by no means all; they helped to launch many ideas that have now become standard in their respective fields, medicine and business. John, the medical doctor, had some ideas about healthy living that would be regarded as silly today (he was obsessed with bowel movements) or worse than that (he was a big booster of eugenics), but others, such as the importance of a moderate or even abstemious diet and regular exercise, are now widely accepted. Will, the businessman, joined Henry Ford as a pioneer of mass production and also stood out in his development of advertising techniques.

    Markel brings both men vividly to life, providing plenty of detail to show their complexity and their importance yet seldom bogging the reader down in minutiae. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who would like to make the acquaintance of two remarkable and important, even if not necessarily likeable, men and learn about their substantial effects on their time, which continue to this day.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Mrs Kerren
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, well-told story
    Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I great up in Michigan and didn't know this story. The author provided insight into the characters by describing their young years, the influence of their faith, and the details of their business acumen. I was glued to this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it - especially knowing it was not just a story, but a true story. Dr Kellogg was so far ahead of his colleagues and his drive and personality propelled medicine, health care and health living to great levels in his day. It seems we haven't learned our history, so we keep starting from behind in these areas, but he definitely set a standard that today's healthcare professionals are still striving to achieve. His brother did an equally amazing job in providing convenient (nutritious?) breakfast items. It's too bad that they didn't leave a legacy within their family, and the empires they both built seem to have deteriorated to the history bins. Fascinating read.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Daphne B
    3.0 out of 5 stars This is an ok book, it is swimming with ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is an ok book, it is swimming with details that I don't think were necessary. It was interesting but not necessarily and enjoyable read.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Joel Maweni
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
    Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Wonderfull narration of the Kellogs. I am still reading the book. Lovely.
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  • Quebec Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars More than just a breakfast book.
    Reviewed in Canada on May 1, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I can’t say that I ever had more than a passing interest in the Kellogg’s. But now I do. This is a truly enjoyable book, being a history of the tragic Kellog brothers, their businesses, and the time in which they lived. This book is a keeper.
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