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The Ice Cream Theory
The award-winning book, The Ice Cream Theory , is ice-cream guru Steff Deschenes's charming exploration of the parallels between human personalities and ice-cream flavors, a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the variety inherent in a well-lived life. The Theory was hatched when Deschenes was trying to make sense of her first heartbreak. In the midst of that grief, she realized that, in the same way humans have ice-cream preferences, humans have people preferences. Like ice cream flavors, social preferences shift based on age, experience, even mood. There are exotic flavors that one craves when feeling daring, comforting flavors to fall back on, flavors long-enjoyed that eventually wear out their welcome, and those unique flavors that require an acquired taste. Like people, no ice cream flavor is perfect every single time . . . and it is in this realization that the crux of Deschenes's theory lies. Deschenes neatly brings together anecdotes from her own adventures with broader-reaching social commentary to help others recognize the wisdom and joy inherent in a beloved dessert. With its cheeky self-help slant, The Ice Cream Theory is an endearing and light-hearted addition to any bookshelf. It's a must read for anyone bruised by life's tough lessons and in need of a cheerful pick me up!
273 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2009
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 15, 2024
this book was fine, kind of pointless but I've definitely read worse
April 10, 2010
From my ice cream blog:
So I did it. Just like I said I would. I read The Ice Cream Theory from cover to cover as promised on my November vacation. Then of course, I delayed in posting, because I seem not to be able to finish things lately. Steff's book is the ice cream version of Candy and Me by Hilary Liftin. For a sweet lover, both books are worth the read!
Timely or not, this review falls nicely after Tina's post about the Which Flavor Are You? Quiz. Steff's takes the ice cream personality to a deeper, quirkier, and wonderfully anecdotal story for the ice cream lover.
This was definitely a quick and engaging read. Steff Deschenes seems to have a passion for ice cream that seems to be only paralleled by Scoopalicious! Ha! Steff is an ice cream fanatic who successfully uses ice cream as a metaphor of her relationships. The Ice Cream Theory is part memoir, part analysis of human nature.
[On a side note, this book also holds a special personal meaning. Back in December 2006, I was talking with my family and realized out of the five of us, I wasn't keeping a list of books I had read. It occurred to me that this was a good idea for a couple of reasons: 1. It is quite an accomplishment to look back on the list 2. I don't have the best memory. I could practically read a book twice and not remember it. So here we are, three years later, and I have finished book 100 since I started the list, and that book is The Ice Cream Theory.]
I loved the Pistachio chapter. I thought that the relationship between Deschenes and her grandfather was absolutely -- shoot, I can't even come up with the right word for it. It wasn't precious or endearing -- that's too belittling. It wasn't wonderful. That doesn't say enough. It was special, but so much more. I might have to say it in more words than one, which I guess I just covered.
Not such a fan of the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle chapter. I love ice cream. Love it. Yes, I know we are human and therefore do things like vomit once in a while, but I do not need to have it in the same sentence as ice cream. I just don't. And look. Now I did it myself, put the two in the same sentence. Sorry.
One complaint is I would love to know the ice cream places and ice cream brands she raves about. As I sat reading about the ice creams she absolutely adored, I wanted to know where to find them.
However, though a directory of ice cream places wasn't included in the end of the book, I found some solace by visiting The Ice Cream Theory website. There you can see the charming Steff give video reviews of some ice cream places on location! To celebrate the release of her book, she visits all ten ice cream places in her town! Ten ice cream spots in town? I need to move there!
Also, Portland, Maine fans can listen live to an interview with Steff this Tuesday, April 6th at 8 in the morning on the Q Morning Show (that's WJBQ 97.9). For those of you not in Portland's broadcast area, you can listen live via the web! Late reading this post and April 6th has come and gone? Not to worry! Visit the website to listen to a podcast!
With six nominations/wins to it's name, numerous positive reviews (see here for them all), The Ice Cream Theory is not to be missed.
So I did it. Just like I said I would. I read The Ice Cream Theory from cover to cover as promised on my November vacation. Then of course, I delayed in posting, because I seem not to be able to finish things lately. Steff's book is the ice cream version of Candy and Me by Hilary Liftin. For a sweet lover, both books are worth the read!
Timely or not, this review falls nicely after Tina's post about the Which Flavor Are You? Quiz. Steff's takes the ice cream personality to a deeper, quirkier, and wonderfully anecdotal story for the ice cream lover.
This was definitely a quick and engaging read. Steff Deschenes seems to have a passion for ice cream that seems to be only paralleled by Scoopalicious! Ha! Steff is an ice cream fanatic who successfully uses ice cream as a metaphor of her relationships. The Ice Cream Theory is part memoir, part analysis of human nature.
[On a side note, this book also holds a special personal meaning. Back in December 2006, I was talking with my family and realized out of the five of us, I wasn't keeping a list of books I had read. It occurred to me that this was a good idea for a couple of reasons: 1. It is quite an accomplishment to look back on the list 2. I don't have the best memory. I could practically read a book twice and not remember it. So here we are, three years later, and I have finished book 100 since I started the list, and that book is The Ice Cream Theory.]
I loved the Pistachio chapter. I thought that the relationship between Deschenes and her grandfather was absolutely -- shoot, I can't even come up with the right word for it. It wasn't precious or endearing -- that's too belittling. It wasn't wonderful. That doesn't say enough. It was special, but so much more. I might have to say it in more words than one, which I guess I just covered.
Not such a fan of the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle chapter. I love ice cream. Love it. Yes, I know we are human and therefore do things like vomit once in a while, but I do not need to have it in the same sentence as ice cream. I just don't. And look. Now I did it myself, put the two in the same sentence. Sorry.
One complaint is I would love to know the ice cream places and ice cream brands she raves about. As I sat reading about the ice creams she absolutely adored, I wanted to know where to find them.
However, though a directory of ice cream places wasn't included in the end of the book, I found some solace by visiting The Ice Cream Theory website. There you can see the charming Steff give video reviews of some ice cream places on location! To celebrate the release of her book, she visits all ten ice cream places in her town! Ten ice cream spots in town? I need to move there!
Also, Portland, Maine fans can listen live to an interview with Steff this Tuesday, April 6th at 8 in the morning on the Q Morning Show (that's WJBQ 97.9). For those of you not in Portland's broadcast area, you can listen live via the web! Late reading this post and April 6th has come and gone? Not to worry! Visit the website to listen to a podcast!
With six nominations/wins to it's name, numerous positive reviews (see here for them all), The Ice Cream Theory is not to be missed.
August 8, 2010
The Ice Cream Theory is essentially a parallel of the author’s life relationships and situations compared to ice cream flavors. She is infatuated beyond measure with this delectable dessert, which she has loved from a young age. Slowly throughout her life, relationships and events have brought about a match too her love, ice cream. For each of these relationships she shares about the person, the flavor and how she associates them together, brining her “theory” into perspective. The theory started with a single event, her first heartache, and her parents’ method of helping to ease that heartache, a challenge and a reward. From this point on her book was a life in the making, her theory that “people are drawn to or repelled by other people much as they are to flavors of ice cream.” Essentially “people crave certain personalities at different stages in their life in the same way they crave ice cream flavors.”
The Ice Cream Theory offers charming, erratic, and funny heartfelt stories and insights into the authors’ life and personality. This helps the reader to understand a little of how she became who she is, and intern she reveals her infatuation for ice cream. While I’m not certain you could really call this a general theory, she makes it work for her. The book starts off a little confusing as the author explains her theory and then admits the theory really has no common base for everyone. In order for the theory to work, you must first love ice cream enough to have had experience with multiple flavors, and second you have to apply this general thought to you own life, settling on decisions and stereotypes for yourself. There is no set flavor for a set type or personality. If you take all this into consideration and read the book for the stories and parallels you will most likely get more out of it.
I found the authors writing interesting and intriguing at times. On the flipside, some of the writing is more erratic, in that she will be mid story and stop every so often to add ramblings. It reminded me of times when I avoid certain people because I don’t have the time for a lengthy conversation and I know the person likes to talk. The reader is left with the impression that the author is a smart, happy, energetic, talkative individual who appreciates the lessons learned in her life and absolutely loves ice cream. I had trouble getting into this book and staying interested. However, it did have many different parallels of the authors’ life, love, and friends and of course ice cream flavors that were at points easy to read and see how she arrived at this theory for her life. My least favorite flavor was champagne. A few of my favorites were Banana Split and Chocolate, chocolate Chip. I highly suggest if you decide to read this book, you go into it with an open mind, allowing yourself to create your own theory, even if ice cream isn’t involved.
Reviewed for Reviewthebook
The Ice Cream Theory offers charming, erratic, and funny heartfelt stories and insights into the authors’ life and personality. This helps the reader to understand a little of how she became who she is, and intern she reveals her infatuation for ice cream. While I’m not certain you could really call this a general theory, she makes it work for her. The book starts off a little confusing as the author explains her theory and then admits the theory really has no common base for everyone. In order for the theory to work, you must first love ice cream enough to have had experience with multiple flavors, and second you have to apply this general thought to you own life, settling on decisions and stereotypes for yourself. There is no set flavor for a set type or personality. If you take all this into consideration and read the book for the stories and parallels you will most likely get more out of it.
I found the authors writing interesting and intriguing at times. On the flipside, some of the writing is more erratic, in that she will be mid story and stop every so often to add ramblings. It reminded me of times when I avoid certain people because I don’t have the time for a lengthy conversation and I know the person likes to talk. The reader is left with the impression that the author is a smart, happy, energetic, talkative individual who appreciates the lessons learned in her life and absolutely loves ice cream. I had trouble getting into this book and staying interested. However, it did have many different parallels of the authors’ life, love, and friends and of course ice cream flavors that were at points easy to read and see how she arrived at this theory for her life. My least favorite flavor was champagne. A few of my favorites were Banana Split and Chocolate, chocolate Chip. I highly suggest if you decide to read this book, you go into it with an open mind, allowing yourself to create your own theory, even if ice cream isn’t involved.
Reviewed for Reviewthebook
June 9, 2015
This book was a disappointment. The descriptions and reviews I read of it indicated promise, but the final product fell flat.
There is no ice cream theory. There's no rhyme or reason. The author's stance on why anyone is any flavor of ice cream is nothing more than "because I said so." People in her life also tend to be the flavor that she ate with them, indicating that selection is much more memory-based than she'd like to admit.
The first two-thirds or so of the book were engaging. Charming, witty, self-deprecating, and not too serious. The book follows a logical chronology -- first childhood friends, then high school and eventually college acquaintances, with family members sprinkled throughout. Then she gets to themen boys in her life. Chapter after chapter after chapter about the author's "love" life wear on the reader. Deschenes would have done well not to self-publish but to work instead with an editor, who likely would have advised her to distribute those chapters throughout the rest of the book so as not to bog down the end and leave the reader with a bitter aftertaste.
Despite being around 30 years old already, Deschenes clearly has not found herself yet. Her identity is defined by her friends and the "boys" in her life more than by who she wants to be. She complains about not being able to find Mr. Right, yet actively chases away every opportunity at happiness. She clearly has daddy issues (as evidenced both by chapters about her relationship with her father, and self-destructive romantic behavior), yet seems to think that she's risen victorious, simply because she's authored a book.
A narcissist at her foundation, Deschenes is a perfect example of Generation Y: she does what she wants and who she wants, seemingly without thought to consequence. She has no black and white principles in her life: everything is relative, depending on her mood. She also suffers from entitlement syndrome, and seems to expect to always be the center of attention. Indeed, she actively seeks to ensure that that is the case.
All in all, I'd give this book 2.5 stars. Most of it was charming and easy to read through. The end however, soured the entire experience.
There is no ice cream theory. There's no rhyme or reason. The author's stance on why anyone is any flavor of ice cream is nothing more than "because I said so." People in her life also tend to be the flavor that she ate with them, indicating that selection is much more memory-based than she'd like to admit.
The first two-thirds or so of the book were engaging. Charming, witty, self-deprecating, and not too serious. The book follows a logical chronology -- first childhood friends, then high school and eventually college acquaintances, with family members sprinkled throughout. Then she gets to the
Despite being around 30 years old already, Deschenes clearly has not found herself yet. Her identity is defined by her friends and the "boys" in her life more than by who she wants to be. She complains about not being able to find Mr. Right, yet actively chases away every opportunity at happiness. She clearly has daddy issues (as evidenced both by chapters about her relationship with her father, and self-destructive romantic behavior), yet seems to think that she's risen victorious, simply because she's authored a book.
A narcissist at her foundation, Deschenes is a perfect example of Generation Y: she does what she wants and who she wants, seemingly without thought to consequence. She has no black and white principles in her life: everything is relative, depending on her mood. She also suffers from entitlement syndrome, and seems to expect to always be the center of attention. Indeed, she actively seeks to ensure that that is the case.
All in all, I'd give this book 2.5 stars. Most of it was charming and easy to read through. The end however, soured the entire experience.
October 31, 2010
I'll say it. I'm a sucker for ice cream. Sweets in general really, but ice cream remains my absolute favorite sweet treat out there. I'll eat it in the middle of winter, happily, while I shiver under a blanket. Yup, I'm a glutton for punishment! So when I saw that this book was being offered for review, and I read the synopsis, I knew that I would have to read it. People and ice cream? Amazing!
The best part about this book is the way that it is set up. Steff Deschenes spends the first chapter explaining her theory, and then each subsequent chapter describes a flavor and compares it to a person. It's amazing how accurate she is! Although she does mention how everyone will see her parallels differently, I was in agreement with everything that she wrote. It's hard not to be when her stories pull you back into times in your past. Kind of like a sweetly driven road-trip to childhood. Her stories are the perfect mixture of heartfelt and fun.
Each of one the chapters is amazingly written, and extremely fun! Perky might be a good word. Steff made me laugh out loud with her writing, especially when she would go off on random tangents. The people she brings to life in her stories really made an impression on me and, like I mentioned above, reminded me of people I've lost and found in my own life. I was really smitten with her mention of the fact that we loose, gain, and loose friends often in our lives. I used to feel bad about that, but this book reminded me that it is a normal occurrence.
I think the reason I connected so much with The Ice Cream Theory is because I see a lot of parallels to my own life. A reader needs to go into this book with an open mind and heart. If you appreciate a good, witty read, you'll love this book! Recommended to lovers of ice cream, and people who would just like a good laugh.
The best part about this book is the way that it is set up. Steff Deschenes spends the first chapter explaining her theory, and then each subsequent chapter describes a flavor and compares it to a person. It's amazing how accurate she is! Although she does mention how everyone will see her parallels differently, I was in agreement with everything that she wrote. It's hard not to be when her stories pull you back into times in your past. Kind of like a sweetly driven road-trip to childhood. Her stories are the perfect mixture of heartfelt and fun.
Each of one the chapters is amazingly written, and extremely fun! Perky might be a good word. Steff made me laugh out loud with her writing, especially when she would go off on random tangents. The people she brings to life in her stories really made an impression on me and, like I mentioned above, reminded me of people I've lost and found in my own life. I was really smitten with her mention of the fact that we loose, gain, and loose friends often in our lives. I used to feel bad about that, but this book reminded me that it is a normal occurrence.
I think the reason I connected so much with The Ice Cream Theory is because I see a lot of parallels to my own life. A reader needs to go into this book with an open mind and heart. If you appreciate a good, witty read, you'll love this book! Recommended to lovers of ice cream, and people who would just like a good laugh.
September 2, 2011
If I could it would be somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. Or maybe I'd do 3 stars for the first half of the book and 2.5 for the last bit.
This was the most recent book club book. I enjoyed a lot of the stories and found Deschenes to be an amusing writer. However, she is quite stuck on herself. The first 2/3 of the book contain stories about mostly friends and family and how they are like certain ice cream flavors. The last 1/3 of the book is about guys that she dated and the ice cream flavors they are like. It's that last 1/3 of the book that lost me. I got tired of her dropping the guys because she got scared, or didn't want to be committed, or whatever.
The whole idea is that people are like certain flavors of ice cream for a reason. Or rather, that certain flavors of ice cream have human characteristics (however you want to look at it). But, she didn't really do a good job of showing that through the book. It was more, "I ate ice cream with this person and most of my memories associated with that person are centered about that flavor ice cream, so that person is said ice cream." Or, "This person liked this flavor best and this is why they are like it since it's their favorite." It was all based on her memories of what ice cream she ate most often with each person instead of what each person was actually like.
That being said, I did enjoy a lot of the stories and I enjoyed her description of each ice cream's personality and there were times I laughed out loud to myself. If you decide to read it, stop when she starts all the stories about internet dating :)
This was the most recent book club book. I enjoyed a lot of the stories and found Deschenes to be an amusing writer. However, she is quite stuck on herself. The first 2/3 of the book contain stories about mostly friends and family and how they are like certain ice cream flavors. The last 1/3 of the book is about guys that she dated and the ice cream flavors they are like. It's that last 1/3 of the book that lost me. I got tired of her dropping the guys because she got scared, or didn't want to be committed, or whatever.
The whole idea is that people are like certain flavors of ice cream for a reason. Or rather, that certain flavors of ice cream have human characteristics (however you want to look at it). But, she didn't really do a good job of showing that through the book. It was more, "I ate ice cream with this person and most of my memories associated with that person are centered about that flavor ice cream, so that person is said ice cream." Or, "This person liked this flavor best and this is why they are like it since it's their favorite." It was all based on her memories of what ice cream she ate most often with each person instead of what each person was actually like.
That being said, I did enjoy a lot of the stories and I enjoyed her description of each ice cream's personality and there were times I laughed out loud to myself. If you decide to read it, stop when she starts all the stories about internet dating :)
October 27, 2010
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a book like this. Is it a memoir? Is it a self-help book? It's simply a book of humor? It's all of the above. I love the idea of the Ice Cream Theory. That just as we all have taste preferences for ice cream, we have people preferences for humans. Some people you click with and some you don't. Sometimes those preferences change with time and experience, sometimes they don't.
Steff goes through different flavors and shares anecdotes and experiences with friends and people for each one. It's a humorous and enlightening read about friendship. Rather than trying to put myself and those around me into her flavors, I found myself assigning my own. Which is what you should do.
I love ice cream. I always have. I worked at Swensen's when I was in high school and I think I tried every ice cream flavor they had and nearly every topping/ice cream combination they had. Funny how vanilla with hot fudge is still my favorite. Simple, elegant and yummy. My favorite flavor of ice cream is licorice. Not many places have it. Sub Zero does and it's phenomenal. But, I digress.
Simply put, this is a fun book. You'll laugh, you'll ponder and you'll come away wanting some ice cream!
Steff goes through different flavors and shares anecdotes and experiences with friends and people for each one. It's a humorous and enlightening read about friendship. Rather than trying to put myself and those around me into her flavors, I found myself assigning my own. Which is what you should do.
I love ice cream. I always have. I worked at Swensen's when I was in high school and I think I tried every ice cream flavor they had and nearly every topping/ice cream combination they had. Funny how vanilla with hot fudge is still my favorite. Simple, elegant and yummy. My favorite flavor of ice cream is licorice. Not many places have it. Sub Zero does and it's phenomenal. But, I digress.
Simply put, this is a fun book. You'll laugh, you'll ponder and you'll come away wanting some ice cream!
November 30, 2010
The Ice Cream Theory is not only about ice cream! It's also filled with anecdotes about life, love, friendship, family, dating & well...I could go on! If you're looking for something not only interesting, but entertaining to read, look no further!
Though I typically do not read these types of genres of books I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Not only is it about ice cream & let's face it....who doesn't love ice cream!? I found that not only could I relate to most of the stories in between each ice cream theory, but they were very entertaining as well!
The author Steff Deschenes did a great job explaining each of her theories relating people to ice cream & also telling her stories of life & how she came about coming up with each theory.
This book is a nice, light read that is perfect to curl up on the couch with while being entertained & even laughing along the way! You don't have to be an ice cream lover to enjoy this book!
Though I typically do not read these types of genres of books I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Not only is it about ice cream & let's face it....who doesn't love ice cream!? I found that not only could I relate to most of the stories in between each ice cream theory, but they were very entertaining as well!
The author Steff Deschenes did a great job explaining each of her theories relating people to ice cream & also telling her stories of life & how she came about coming up with each theory.
This book is a nice, light read that is perfect to curl up on the couch with while being entertained & even laughing along the way! You don't have to be an ice cream lover to enjoy this book!
January 2, 2016
This is a very cute book that has lots of fun stories. But, honestly, it doesn't hold my interest. At least not when I have four other books to read in the next week. If I had a little more time, I could get through it no problem. It's not boring or bad to read; it's just not something that I feel I have to finish. I will finish it once my schedule has settled down a bit, but for now I must put it aside to start something else I'm supposed to finish today.
That said, the stories have made me chuckle and smile. And this book makes me want to eat more ice cream – even when it's 11˚F outside! LOL I do have to wonder, with the way the author talks about junk food (especially ice cream) how she's not extremely overweight! LOL (I wish I had her metabolism.)
So, generally, this is an enjoyable, light read. The stories make me smile and sometimes even chuckle a little. I look forward to clearing up my review schedule so I can hunker down and finish this!
That said, the stories have made me chuckle and smile. And this book makes me want to eat more ice cream – even when it's 11˚F outside! LOL I do have to wonder, with the way the author talks about junk food (especially ice cream) how she's not extremely overweight! LOL (I wish I had her metabolism.)
So, generally, this is an enjoyable, light read. The stories make me smile and sometimes even chuckle a little. I look forward to clearing up my review schedule so I can hunker down and finish this!
December 2, 2010
The Ice Cream Theory is possibly the most interesting book I have ever read. Steff uses ice cream as a to explain the ups and downs of life. Her approach was inspiring because she gets you to think about the past and how it has shaped you without you even realizing it. I had a lot of fun reading this book and would recommend it to those who want to read a meaningful book without straining your brain.
July 9, 2011
I was not sure what category to put this book in. I settled on essays because it sort of reminded me about how David Sedaris writes essays that sort of go together. I was lucky enough to get locked out of my apartment one day and seek shelter in my neighbor's apartment across the hall. Little did I know, my neighbor is an author who wrote this wonderful book!
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