[b]An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage[/b]

I chose this book for my July food read, because it discusses food from the viewpoint of genetics, archeology, anthropology, technology, and economics. The author is the business editor of the Economist, and a contributor to Wired, and the New York Times. He has previously written The Neptune, The Turk, The Victorian Internet, and A History of the World in 6 Glasses.

Wow, were ARE you guys finding out about this books??? Thanks for sharing, this one looks amazing.

Book provides insights into a variety of food facts. It is a fast and easy read.
Here are some food facts I found interesting:
Food we think of as "natural":
CARROTS: originally/naturally white or purple. To celebrate William of Orange County's birthday, a variety of orange carrots was created and since
then, we see orange carrots as "natural".
CORN: originally the ears were small (1/2 inch). To facilitate harvesting and
human taste, only exceptionally larger ears were seeded back into land…creating larger and larger ears of corn. Mother nature was more modest
in it's original design.
HERBALISTS
associated plant appearance with either disease cure or cause.
Potatoes were thought to induce leprosy because their appearance was
linked to lepers' gnarly hands.
FAMINES
famines are often blamed on natural disasters, but in democratic countries
with relatively free press, when such disasters strike, politicians are more
likely to act, if only to maintain the support of voters.
POPULATION EXPLOSION
the synthetic discovery and production of ammonia/nitrogen was a significant factor in 20th century population growth (from 1.6 to 6 Billion)
this artificial fertilizer contributed to the vast expansion of food supply
FUTURE
on a remote island in Artic Circle, exists Svalbard Global Seed Vault. It is the
world's largest and safest seed storage facility. These secured seeds are
stored to assure continuing food production in the event of nuclear war or
extreme climate changes.

Written in lucid and plain prose the book is informative and insightful. The author
relays facts in an easy to follow historical sequence. Tom Standage never fails to provide a worldwide interpretation of historical food event/trends.

I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Enjoyed your review. Love to read about food history.
Thanks for sharing.
Dorothy