The paperback edition of Horsemen of the Esophagus, a book on the world of professional eating, went on sale today. Oh course, author Jason Fagone’s book would be complete without some coverage of Japanese super glutton Takeru Kobayashi:

Fagone’s trek takes him to 27 eating contests on two continents, from the World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship in Venice Beach, California, to Nagoya, Japan, where he pursues an interview with the legendary Takeru Kobayashi, perhaps the most prodigious eater in the world today, and to the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, the sport’s annual grand finale, where Kobayashi has eaten more than 50 dogs in 12 minutes. Along the way, Fagone discovers an absurd, sometimes troubling subculture on the make, ready to bust out of its county fair and neighborhood-fat-guys niche and grab a juicy piece of the big-time television sports/Vegas spectacle jackpot.

It sounds like a must-read for fans of Kobayashi and the sport of competitive eating.

[via Eatfeats]