Spice: The History of a Temptation

Recently finished Jack Turner's book on the history of spices, and I thought my reader would appreciate a review.

Turner reaches far into the past to lay the groundwork for humanity's fascination with spices - from pre-Hellenic Greece to the breaking of the Dutch monopoly on the spice trade. He does this with solid prose, and an approachable scholarly bent. Sometimes things get a little dry, and unless you are a dedicated reader of food history, it may drag a little (I didn't have that problem, but I'm a bit of a geek).

Turner's book is full of good information, well researched and documented, and has already become a staple reference for me. It is a "must read" for any student of colonial history, though. It adds a great deal of depth to a time period that is commonly oversimplified as being about "god, gold and glory," which aids in understanding the motives of those who colonized (and ultimately oppressed) most of the rest of the world.

I would have liked to have seen a little more information on the biological reasons why humans crave spices (some research is being done by Kansas State University and Cornell as to the anti-microbial properties of spices that is really remarkable) but a lot of that research is fairly new, so I'll forgive him for leaving it out.

All-in-all, I'd recommend the book. I don't think I'd put it on my top five list, but it would probably find a spot on my top ten.
And what the hell, I'm a capitalist, so I'll link to a place where you can even buy it.