<DIV><B>"Mankind is Noodlekind" </B><br><BR> For three days in January 2007,the most e-mailed article in <I>The New York Times</I> was "appreciations: Mr. noodle," an editorial noting the passing, at age ninety-six, of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen. Ando's existence came as a shock to many, but not to Andy Raskin, who had spent three years trying to meet the noodle pioneer.<br><BR> <I>The Ramen King and I</I> is Raskin's funny and, at times, painfully honest memoir about confronting the truth of his dating life-with Ando as his spiritual guide. Can instant ramen lead one to a committed relationship? And is sushi the secret to self-acceptance?<br><BR> A true tale of hunger in its many forms, <I>The Ramen King and I</I> is about becoming slaves to our desires and learning to break free.<BR><BR></DIV>