A self-avowed "fermentation fetishist," author and activist Sandor Katz (aka Sandor Kraut) travels the world spreading the gospel of foods that are transformed and ennobled by bacteria, heralding the benefits of the ancient preservation technique that he says makes foods much more digestible and nutritious. "Eating bacteria is one of life's great pleasures," he says. "Beer, wine, cheese, bread, cured meats, coffee, chocolate: Our best-loved foods are almost all fermented." Katz is a long-term HIV/AIDS survivor who considers fermented foods to be an important element of his healing. His two books on the topic—Wild Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved—have become manifestos and how-to manuals for a generation of grassroots food activists. In The Art of Fermentation, he offers practical information about nurturing and preparing live-culture foods.