Book excerpt: This gastrological romp shares tales of gustatory tidbits from six continents. Weaving history and autobiography, author Jerry Hopkins regales with an array of startling facts about the world's eating habits. Strange Foods begins with rat tales from the Roman Empire and imperial China and continues on to stories form locales where rat remains a mouth-watering hors d'oeuvre or hearty entrée today. There are at least 40 serving suggestions for crocodile alone! And there are more than 250 photographs from acclaimed photographer Michael Freeman, whose aim is true and who eats what he shoots. This is gonzo food writing that's sure to change your mind, if not your palate.