I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal
Author: Mark Bittman
Release Date: 2.2.21
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Goodreads Summary:
From hunting and gathering to GMOs and ultraprocessed foods, this expansive tour of human history rewrites the story of our species—and points the way to a better future.
The history of Homo sapiens is usually told as a story of technology or economics. But there is a more fundamental driver: food. How we hunted and gathered explains our emergence as a new species and our earliest technology; our first food systems, from fire to agriculture, tell where we settled and how civilizations expanded. The quest for food for growing populations drove exploration, colonialism, slavery, even capitalism.
A century ago, food was industrialized. Since then, new styles of agriculture and food production have written a new chapter of human history, one that’s driving both climate change and global health crises. Best-selling food authority Mark Bittman offers a panoramic view of the story and explains how we can rescue ourselves from the modern wrong turn.
My Review:
From hunting and gathering to GMOs and ultraprocessed foods, this expansive tour of human history rewrites the story of our species—and points the way to a better future.
The history of Homo sapiens is usually told as a story of technology or economics. But there is a more fundamental driver: food. How we hunted and gathered explains our emergence as a new species and our earliest technology; our first food systems, from fire to agriculture, tell where we settled and how civilizations expanded. The quest for food for growing populations drove exploration, colonialism, slavery, even capitalism.
A century ago, food was industrialized. Since then, new styles of agriculture and food production have written a new chapter of human history, one that’s driving both climate change and global health crises. Best-selling food authority Mark Bittman offers a panoramic view of the story and explains how we can rescue ourselves from the modern wrong turn.
My Review:
I was pulled into the framework of this book with statements like "Food has always been political, but as time passed, our relationship with food--how it gets into our hands--has been shaped more and more by government and policy" and "If you are looking for the roots of today's income inequality, you might start here, with a federal donation of land--the foundation of most wealth--to an exclusive club of white men."
As I got deeper into the reading I loved how the author touched on so many aspects of our evolving food production and eating habits, and when I say "so many" I mean "sooooooo many." From cooking/freezing/sealing methods and the commercialization of sugar, corn, soy, and GMOs to creations of The National Dairy Council, The National School Lunch Program, The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, and Food for Freedom--this book covers A LOT.
The parts I had problems with (you know when you read something and think "that doesn't sound right" or "really?") were difficult to follow up on because there were no citations. This may be because this is an eARC, but I felt like some statements were being pulled from unreliable secondary sources.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, specifically the section on the origins of ketchup and the "smart" aka ruthless measures Heinz took to eliminate all competition at the turn of the twentieth century.
As I got deeper into the reading I loved how the author touched on so many aspects of our evolving food production and eating habits, and when I say "so many" I mean "sooooooo many." From cooking/freezing/sealing methods and the commercialization of sugar, corn, soy, and GMOs to creations of The National Dairy Council, The National School Lunch Program, The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, and Food for Freedom--this book covers A LOT.
The parts I had problems with (you know when you read something and think "that doesn't sound right" or "really?") were difficult to follow up on because there were no citations. This may be because this is an eARC, but I felt like some statements were being pulled from unreliable secondary sources.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, specifically the section on the origins of ketchup and the "smart" aka ruthless measures Heinz took to eliminate all competition at the turn of the twentieth century.
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