Sophie Egan

This was easy to listen to - not a scholarly work in any way. It's basically a series of essays on American food culture. The author has a strong bent toward describing young urban and suburban culture. Someone living in a rural area certainly isn't eating the way she describes - "cheffing" at fast casual restaurants and eating out or eating prepared foods at most meals. The author's conclusion that it would make sense to work less and spend more time on preparing meals from basic ingredients we've personally selected to reflect our values comes off as a little lofty to those who aren't already doing so. Finally, her discussion of gluten talked about gluten free as a fad diet and only once even mentioned Celiac disease. That was a turn off. Overall an okay read without a strong central theme.… (plus d'informations)

An attractive and easy to navigate reference for making food choices from a number of different perspectives, from nutrition and environmental impact to growing/working conditions for animals and humans alike. Some of the information was familiar from having read other books such as The Omnivore's Dilemma, but a fair amount was new and some of it was eye-opening. Memorizing all of the good advice for later recall while at the grocery store seems unlikely, but I can see myself choosing a few areas and making more conscious, intentional choices.… (plus d'informations)