"The British scientist, Hugh Macdonald Sinclair (1910-1990), is best remembered for his belief that diets deficient in essential fatty acids are the cause of most degenerative illnesses, including coronary heart disease. Sinclair's forceful arguments on this matter preceded firm scientific evidence, however; and his self-experimentation, including the infamous 100 day seal-meat diet, were the subject of widespread ridicule and professional ruin." "Sinclair's great dream was to establish an international centre for the study of human nutrition. He argued that this subject is an important area of science in its own right, and that new insights into the relationships between food and human health should guide developments in medicine, agriculture, and food technology. Many of his ideas have relevance for us today." Fine Wines and Fish Oil explores the facts behind Sinclair's rise and fall, and finds a complex story involving family life, personal ambition, and the schism between the academic pursuit of knowledge and the use of information for the public good.