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History. Sociology. Nonfiction. HTML: "Epic and engrossing." �??The New York Times Book Review From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and pioneering journalist, an expansive look at how history has been shaped by humanity's appetite for food, farmland, and the money behind it all�??and how a better future is within reach. The story of humankind is usually told as one of technological innovation and economic influence�??of arrowheads and atomic bombs, settlers and stock markets. But behind it all, there is an even more fundamental driver: Food. In Animal, Vegetable, Junk, trusted food authority Mark Bittman offers a panoramic view of how the frenzy for food has driven human history to some of its most catastrophic moments, from slavery and colonialism to famine and genocide�??and to our current moment, wherein Big Food exacerbates climate change, plunders our planet, and sickens its people. Even still, Bittman refuses to concede that the battle is lost, pointing to activists, workers, and governments around the world who are choosing well-being over corporate greed and gluttony, and fighting to free society from Big Food's grip. Sweeping, impassioned, and ultimately full of hope, Animal, Vegetable, Junk reveals not only how food has shaped our past, but also how we can transform it to reclaim our… (more)
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I thought that midway through we would finally shift gears towards directing the barbs merely at the junk food industry, but the general negativity towards all modern agriculture never ceased.
I would love to get Bittman and Paarlberg together for a debate. Here are just a few ways they would explicitly part company:
- Normal Borlaug, leader of the "Green Revolution." To Bittman, he "virtually ignor(ed) what was traditionally grown" in his blind zest for bringing in chemical fertilizers and pesticdes.
- Whether organic farming yields would fall far short of levels that could effectively feed the world's current population - Bittman calls it "a moronic argument".
- Whether Alice $100-a-plate, I-never-step-foot-in-a-supermarket Waters has anything of value to teach us about food systems
I had to rub my eyes in disbelief when I read this on page 243: "Although it's immoral and cruel, and overseen by mostly immoral and cruel people - only a few of whom were sadistic masterminds - the [food] system is largely the result of incremental decisions..." What?! People who work in modern food businesses are "mostly immoral and cruel"? "Mostly"! You might think the majority of them misguided. But "immoral" and "cruel" are some really nasty words to depict "most" people overseeing an industry.
Is it a work of academic history or science? No. It's a popular work of advocacy journalism. It's written out of anger, and urgency. He thinks it's immoral to create or work for a food system that harms the planet and the poor, that exploits animals, workers and the soil, all to make a tiny percentage of investors insanely rich. You may agree or disagree, but I say good for him for going for it, and for stating a case that's unpopular in the US so strongly. He is doing a brave and important thing, using his name and reputation to bring attention to a difficult issue, with a book that someone like me, who enjoys his cooking work and past journalism, might pick up from a library shelf. A nice change from doing PBS shows with celebrities.
Is it a perfect book? For me, the early "historical" parts were less engaging, but long, while the latter parts, which contained more of what I was interested in, went by too quickly. But it's given me a lot to engage with, and some new academics to read.