I hear Chapter 5 is delicious

After being blogged about, written about in newspapers, featured on late night television programs, and even chronicled on an MTV "documentary," competitive eating is finally entering the literary realm with not one, but two books due out in April. Coincidentally (though not surprisingly) the covers of both books feature beauty shots of the sport's signature snack, the hot dog.

The first, "Eat This Book : A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit" follows Ryan Nerz as he spends 12 months traveling the IFOCE circuit. It should be noted, Nerz was hired by the IFOCE to promote the events from which he draws his experience, so don't expect any juicy exposes or the inside scoop on rampant steroid use. It does, however, feature 30 pages of black and white pics, which is always a plus.

Due out a few weeks later is "Horsemen of the Esophagus : Competitive Eating and the Big Fat American Dream". Like "Eat This Book," "Horsemen" features interviews with the top eaters in the world, but it appears like it might take a more objective look at what one review calls an "absurd, sometimes troubling subculture." It also comes in hardcover, which makes it more repellant to ketchup and mustard stains.