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Sign up todayCool Food
Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time
Length
6 hours 10 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Robert Downey Jr., Thomas Kostigen, various narrators & Deepti Gupta
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER
In Cool Food, celebrated actor and philanthropist Robert Downey Jr. and New York Times bestselling author Thomas Kostigen team up to discover how we can erase our carbon footprints—one bite at a time.
What we eat matters—to us, and to the planet. Cool food is a game-changing new food category and way of thinking that can help fix the climate. This engaging and persuasive book will show you how to make simple choices, starting today—in the supermarket, in your kitchen, and in the world—to reduce your environmental impact. Hundreds of cool foods exist, but until now have gone largely uncelebrated for their climate-positive powers. Some of these foods may already be on your shelf, and some are just on the horizon. But cool food is much more than just a shopping list: it’s a way of life vitally important to our future.
Packed with eye-opening information, actionable items, and two dozen delicious recipes, Cool Food comes alive with engaging storytelling and refreshing humor. Robert and Tom have talked with experts around the globe—from farmers who are pioneering new pathways to more sustainable food, to cutting-edge, climate-friendly chefs. In seeking answers to what each of us can do, this intrepid duo discovered:
the power of ancient grains;
revolutionary farming techniques that create more sustainable foods;
the unexpected benefits of meal kits;
future foods that are made of thin air;
delicious and different recipes that do the world good, and much more.
What we choose to eat, where we shop, and how we plan our meals are daily choices that can have a wide impact on the world, whether we realize it or not. We have the power with each one of our daily purchases and our individual food habits to encourage a healthier and more sustainable food system for everyone.
Join Robert and Tom on this fun, exciting, and enlightening adventure and learn how to become part of the Cool Food revolution.
Robert Downey Jr. is a New York Times bestselling author and an Academy Award– and Golden Globe–winning actor best known for his performance in the title role of the blockbuster franchise Iron Man. Downey Jr.’s character as Iron Man/Tony Stark contributed in defining what became an unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making. Avengers: Endgame, the film that starred Downey Jr. in his iconic role for its final run, garnered more than $2.79 billion at the worldwide box office. Following his Marvel tenure, Downey Jr. has shifted to writing, producing, and starring in his own projects under his Team Downey banner, the production company he and his wife, Susan, launched in 2010.
Downey Jr. won his first Academy Award for his role in Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated, star-studded feature Oppenheimer for Universal, based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Marking his first return to television in over two decades, Downey Jr. is also costarring in HBO’s The Sympathizer, the series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize–winning debut novel. Under the direction of Park Chan Wook and produced by Team Downey, Downey Jr. will play an impressive five supporting roles including the four main antagonists.
Team Downey has a first-look deal with HBO. Under the pact, Downey Jr. and Team Downey executive produced the Emmy-nominated Perry Mason, which premiered in 2020 becoming HBO’s most-watched series debut in nearly two years. Most recently, Team Downey produced Sweet Tooth for Warner Brothers Television/Netflix. The series premiered to critical acclaim and currently has a 98% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Both series have been renewed for second seasons.
Downey Jr. made his acting debut under the direction of Robert Downey Sr. in Pound. Since then, he has amassed over ninety acting credits over his illustrious career. Previously, Downey Jr. earned a Golden Globe Award for his performance as the lead role in the action-adventure Sherlock Holmes. The film brought in more than $524 million at the global box office and was followed by the equally prosperous sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which earned more than $545 million worldwide.
Downey Jr. was also nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for his work in Ben Stiller’s 2008 comedy hit Tropic Thunder. His performance as Kirk Lazarus also received Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations. In 1992, Downey Jr. was honored with his first Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s acclaimed biopic Chaplin, for which he also received a Golden Globe Award nomination. His role as Chaplin earned him a BAFTA Award and a London Film Critics’ Circle Award.
In addition to his film and television work, Downey Jr. is the founder of FootPrint Coalition (FPC), which launched in 2019. FootPrint Coalition is a business and nonprofit solely focused on the adoption and scaling of sustainable technologies.
Thomas Kostigen is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author and journalist. He founded the Climate Survivalist column for USA Today and has written for numerous publications, including the Washington Post, National Geographic, Discover, Departures, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal, among others.
He is the coauthor with Robert Downey Jr. of the forthcoming Cool Food: How to Erase Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time.
Robert Downey Jr. is a New York Times bestselling author and an Academy Award– and Golden Globe–winning actor best known for his performance in the title role of the blockbuster franchise Iron Man. Downey Jr.’s character as Iron Man/Tony Stark contributed in defining what became an unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making. Avengers: Endgame, the film that starred Downey Jr. in his iconic role for its final run, garnered more than $2.79 billion at the worldwide box office. Following his Marvel tenure, Downey Jr. has shifted to writing, producing, and starring in his own projects under his Team Downey banner, the production company he and his wife, Susan, launched in 2010.
Downey Jr. won his first Academy Award for his role in Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated, star-studded feature Oppenheimer for Universal, based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Marking his first return to television in over two decades, Downey Jr. is also costarring in HBO’s The Sympathizer, the series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize–winning debut novel. Under the direction of Park Chan Wook and produced by Team Downey, Downey Jr. will play an impressive five supporting roles including the four main antagonists.
Team Downey has a first-look deal with HBO. Under the pact, Downey Jr. and Team Downey executive produced the Emmy-nominated Perry Mason, which premiered in 2020 becoming HBO’s most-watched series debut in nearly two years. Most recently, Team Downey produced Sweet Tooth for Warner Brothers Television/Netflix. The series premiered to critical acclaim and currently has a 98% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Both series have been renewed for second seasons.
Downey Jr. made his acting debut under the direction of Robert Downey Sr. in Pound. Since then, he has amassed over ninety acting credits over his illustrious career. Previously, Downey Jr. earned a Golden Globe Award for his performance as the lead role in the action-adventure Sherlock Holmes. The film brought in more than $524 million at the global box office and was followed by the equally prosperous sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which earned more than $545 million worldwide.
Downey Jr. was also nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for his work in Ben Stiller’s 2008 comedy hit Tropic Thunder. His performance as Kirk Lazarus also received Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations. In 1992, Downey Jr. was honored with his first Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s acclaimed biopic Chaplin, for which he also received a Golden Globe Award nomination. His role as Chaplin earned him a BAFTA Award and a London Film Critics’ Circle Award.
In addition to his film and television work, Downey Jr. is the founder of FootPrint Coalition (FPC), which launched in 2019. FootPrint Coalition is a business and nonprofit solely focused on the adoption and scaling of sustainable technologies.
Thomas Kostigen is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author and journalist. He founded the Climate Survivalist column for USA Today and has written for numerous publications, including the Washington Post, National Geographic, Discover, Departures, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal, among others.
He is the coauthor with Robert Downey Jr. of the forthcoming Cool Food: How to Erase Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time.
Fluent in Hindi, Urdu, and English, Deepti Gupta has an international career spread across India, Singapore, Pakistan, and the United States. As a narrator she brings an open and curious perspective to the author's work. Her natural global/international accent makes her a great choice for an author who is writing to appeal to a global readership/listenership. As an actress she has earned praise from the New York Times for her performance in the feature film Walkaway, and also stars in Record/Play (a sci-fi love story) which was an official selection at Sundance 2013. She earned her MFA in acting from the University of Texas at Austin, an MA in theater studies from the National University of Singapore, and BA in English literature from Delhi University. Besides working as an actress and voice talent, she also works as a consultant with corporate firms and businesses to help expand and deepen their diversity and inclusion strategies.
Reviews
“A fun yet impactful audio guide to choosing food habits that will cool the planet…Downey Jr. is an absolute riot to listen to.”
“As a busy mom, it is so nice to be able to open up a book and think, Wow—not only is my family going to love this, but it’s also going to be good for the environment too.”
“Simultaneously humorous and engaging, Cool Food will provide simple changes that people can make to their food habits to help reduce our carbon footprint…Delectable.”
“A fun and educational read…The narrative is easy to follow. The layout feels minimalist (in line with its objective of reducing carbon footprint). The main points are backed up with credible evidence.”
“Blackstone Publishing, known for high-octane thrillers, detective fiction, and sci-fi, is touting an idiosyncratic forthcoming title as well: Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen’s Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time. If Iron Man fans didn’t know that Downey believes in environmentally sustainable eating habits and has the recipes to prove it, they will now.”
“Downey Jr. serves up food that’s not just hip (as it surely is) but can also be useful in containing or even reversing climate change…A pleasure, and an education, for climate-conscious foodies.”
“Robert Downey Jr. is a real-life superhero, one who’s tackling climate change via plant-based and technology-driven initiatives.”
“A passion project for the pair, the book offers advice on choosing sustainable foods that are good for the climate and the earth…Although there are also some two dozen recipes, such as an ‘avocado and refried bean burrito-style wrap,’ the meat of the book is in the message.”
“While superstardom is a fruit of his labor, Robert Downey Jr is all set to push his horizons to new possibilities with his upcoming book Cool Food…While it may look like the star wants to talk about his favorite types of cuisines, his upcoming book Cool Food is something that he has cocreated with Thomas Kostigen to save the world from overfilling the atmosphere with our carbon footprint.”
“This book is a great tool to help us discover how we can erase our carbon footprint with each meal. This is such a great concept, it’s such an important thing, it’s got a great title, [Robert Downey Jr.] is making it fun. It’s a new way we can look at our food…This is all such food for thought. Pun intended.”
“[Cool Food covers:] School lunch. Fast food. Food waste. Farm to table. People feel lost on how we can change things in our lives, but it’s the power of the dollar and how we spend it. The biggest business in the world is the food industry. The biggest employer in the world is the food industry…America is full of some incredible farms and incredible food producers. It’s all about making those different choices, the power of the dollar.”
“A fresh new take on climate literature…The pages of this book are filled with bright colors, graphic illustrations, flavor-packed recipes, and jaw-dropping information—and there’s no shortage of Downey’s humor and Kostigen’s expertise.”
“Within its pages, delicious recipes, expert advice, and personal insights are shared, making it a coffee table book guests will be excited to pick up. And if you’re thinking that the text’s approach to sustainable eating is just another fearmongering work to promote veganism, that’s where you’re mistaken…You don’t need to restrict yourself to a specific diet in order to highlight eco-friendly choices in your food and everyday life, and Cool Food makes that clear. It’s all approachable steps, and Downey chose a healthy eating pattern that complemented his well-being and values. We applaud him for that.”
“Food for thought, literally! Check out Cool Food by Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen, a must-read guide to reducing your carbon footprint through the joy of eating.”
“Cool Food gives ways to reduce individual climate impact through food choices.”
“Start the year by eating greener at home. Cool Food is a game-changing new food category and way of thinking that can help fix the climate. The engaging book shows you how to make simple choices in the supermarket, your kitchen, and the world to reduce your environmental impact.”
“An empowering call to action that shows us how each of us, through the simple choices we make every day, can be part of the solution…The authors, Downey Jr., with his Hollywood charm, and Kostigen, with his journalist’s eye, take you on a global adventure to meet farmers, chefs, and innovators who are changing the food game. You’ll discover the unexpected benefits of meal kits, learn how to make your grocery list a weapon for good, and maybe even get brave enough to experiment with “air-fermented” foods (yes, you read that right)…Plus, your kids will love learning that they can save the Earth with avocado toast.”
“Downey teamed up with award-winning writer Thomas Kostigen, who has written numerous popular books about the environment. In Cool Food, the duo dive into what can be done to erase our carbon footprint and what changes we can all implement to make a lasting impact.”
“This issue is so near and dear to my heart. We’re a proud composting family. What I like about this book is that you can open it to any page and the way it’s written is so user-friendly that there’s a nugget of wisdom anywhere you go, so you don’t have to read straight through.”
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