When Francine Prose was invited to a downtown Manhattan eatery for lunch, she came face to face with modern gluttony. Prose is one of the authors who have written the “Seven Deadly Sins” book series. The series includes seven books by different authors and her edition is titled “Gluttony”. Each book focuses on one of the seven “deadly sins” and all of the books are published by the New York Public Library. In the introduction anecdote, Prose details the events surrounding the lunch she had with almost a dozen women in a Manhattan restaurant. During the lunch, almost all the women present revealed details of their battle with gluttony. Some of the women revealed some unlikely victories in this battle. For instance, one woman confessed to being almost unable to get her takeout food home without nibbling on it on the way. Another one claimed to call hotels in advance to make sure no sugary foods were in the mini bar of her hotel. Prose then compares this modern view on gluttony with other historical views. This introduction lists the main ideas covered by the author in her book “Gluttony”. According to the author, the modernistic view on gluttony would have no place in the ancient world. This is because there is no longer a food shortage in the modern world as opposed to the frequent food shortages that were characteristic of the ancient world. In ancient civilizations, gluttony was associated with affluence. People who lived during those ancient times were always proud to let the rest of the world know that they could afford more than enough. Therefore, during these times being plump or obese was a sign of affluence. However, during the modern civilization that began after the industrial revolution, being fat or obese is almost considered an epidemic (Arrington 124). The author notes that one of the main concerns for the women at the restaurant was how they appeared to the world. The women are willing to deny themselves a lot just to avoid being associated with gluttony. The author continues by examining gluttony from a spiritual perspective. The book refers to some spiritual authorities on the subject of gluttony. Francis of Assisi and Thomas Aquinas both argued that gluttony was associated with an individual’s spirituality. Today gluttony is more associated with health and illness as opposed to spirituality. This is why gluttony is the subject of various treatment methods today. The modern view is that gluttony is more of a “disease” than it is a “sin”. This change in dynamics is cemented by the fact that most people avoid gluttony because of its accompanying health complications. Categorizing gluttony as one of the seven deadly sins has something to do with its context. As the women at the restaurant are discussing their relationships with food, the author notes that there are aspects of virtue, self-control, temptation-avoidance, and abstinence in the ensuing conversation. All these aspects point towards gluttony being a sin. Gluttony has always been considered a sin except for the brief period in which it became a “badge of pride” during the renaissance and part of the industrial revolution period (Prose 88). During this period, obesity and glu