Clever readers will note a change in my "Top 5" food books - and if you are reading my blog, you must be clever - replacing the fantastic "Sauce Bible" with Iain Gately's wonderful "biography" of alcohol.
Where to start with this one? Gately goes a long way back in history - essentially to the start of recorded time - and catalogs the human love affair with liquor. He takes the reader through time right up until about 2005 (the book was published in '08, but his data stops in '05). After reading this I have a better understanding of not only history, but of human nature. I have so many good things to say about this, that I find myself at a loss for words.
Suffice it to say this is an immensely entertaining read, remarkably informative, and engrossing. It really was hard to put down. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a drink, will have a drink, or just wants to have a drink. You can buy it here.
Speaking of which, my vacation starts today, so I think I'll have a drink myself.
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
6/25/09
6/23/09
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.
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.
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