Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World
by Mark Kurlansky
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1070)
Read in June, 2007
A fishy little book that I read on a four day trek from Oakland to Washington DC by way of Greyhound (note: never do this - there's better and cheaper ways of seeing this country without having to subject yourself to such atrocities...). In all it's proposes an interesting historical lens with which to view the past 1000 or so years of the North Atlantic and much of the maritime policy therein. However, being somewhat of a history buff myself I found that the fish-colored glasses that this boo...more
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Read in November, 2005
This is a loo-book and it's perfect.
It's also utterly sane and explains why international fishing policy has resulted in a seemingly unchanged 'fish-finger' (fish stick for Americans) for the last fifty years even tho' the unfortunate source-creature has flipped from ocean to ocean, species to species and depth to depth. Poor old cod is a small part of this changing piscine biomass and this is his story.
Kurlansky explains the history of cod and he's an anecdotalist of the best kind. Some...more
It's also utterly sane and explains why international fishing policy has resulted in a seemingly unchanged 'fish-finger' (fish stick for Americans) for the last fifty years even tho' the unfortunate source-creature has flipped from ocean to ocean, species to species and depth to depth. Poor old cod is a small part of this changing piscine biomass and this is his story.
Kurlansky explains the history of cod and he's an anecdotalist of the best kind. Some...more
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Read in March, 2008
Great book! I wondered if I would like it , but I was surprised to really enjoy it. Kurlansky does a great and fascinating job in telling the story of Atlantic Cod fishing over the past 1000 years, tying it to world history and politics in general.
It definitely make me worried about over-fishing and has made me reconsider my fish-eating unless I can be assured that the fish I ate were either farmed or fished in sustainable conditions-- I think a difficult task! As a Portuguese gal now liv...more
It definitely make me worried about over-fishing and has made me reconsider my fish-eating unless I can be assured that the fish I ate were either farmed or fished in sustainable conditions-- I think a difficult task! As a Portuguese gal now liv...more
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Read in September, 2007
If the whole world could be defined in a single word, Mark Kurlansky would use the word "cod". Which I think is a bit of an overstatement, since just the year before he released Cod, he did the same thing with [Salt]. He makes some good points, but I find the cod recipes in the back of the book a bit off-topic, considering he spends so much of the book telling the reader how endangered the cod is, how weak the fishery after overfishing, and how long it will take to rebuild this ...more
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Read in January, 2001
I got stuck with this book for AP European History book report #2. I got to chose last in the class from the book list, and so... Cod.
I actually kinda liked it at the time. It was short, humorous at times, but went a little above and beyond with the fish so that the world turned and society advanced all thanks to Cod. Kinda made Cod look like God.
I actually suggested this book to the school librarian who was a family friend, for her to read on the way to her vacation. She came back a...more
I actually kinda liked it at the time. It was short, humorous at times, but went a little above and beyond with the fish so that the world turned and society advanced all thanks to Cod. Kinda made Cod look like God.
I actually suggested this book to the school librarian who was a family friend, for her to read on the way to her vacation. She came back a...more
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Read in July, 1997
I read this book after visiting Fort Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, N.S. and being impressed by stories of oceans of cod ("one could just reach in and pull out codfish"). I'd had no idea how important cod was for the island and for trade in general (I'd never really given it much thought at all). Kurlanksy offers a lively, historical and very entertaining "biography of the fish that changed the world." And with the advent of this book, the publishing industry has churned ...more
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The first of three of Kurlansky's books I have read in recent months, I'd recommend it to anyone as succinct and fascinating. The problem with these pop histories is they give one a lot of slightly glib and very repeatable "facts" that roll right off the tongue in subsequent conversation (the Basques arrived in the New World before Columbus but kept the source of their huge catches of fish a secret, and so on) without really rigorous footnoting. Additionally, they tend to see much of h...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
cooks, fishermen
Frequently funny and fast-moving, the chapters of this book are interspersed with cod recipes dating back from as far as the written word was around. Cod is a fascinating look at the famous fish, and provides a new lens through which to look at world history - a fisheye lens, perhaps? The book bogs down a bit at the end, when Kurlansky starts getting passionate about conservation. I also couldn't help questioning its relevance given that it was written 10 years ago, but it's still worth i...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Elizabeth by:
some environmental organizationrecommends it for: Lovers of nature, the oceans, fish, and obscure historical treasures
I love the way this book was put together: intermingling the story of the rise and fall of cod fishing throughout history with commentary from present-day fishermen, cod cooking recipes, archive photos, archive quotes and poems about cod. It really brings alive the niche culture of fishing and the path that the beleaguered cod has taken over the centuries. It is a great book for fish lovers and lovers of obscure history. If you don't fall into one of these categories though, you might find the b...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
hisotry fans, foodies
I love this guy's sense of humour! This is a smoother read than his 'Salt', though along the same vein. Honestly, who knew cod was so important to history? That there were THREE Cod Wars, all of them recent? That traditional Icelanders made cod skeletons rot to the point they are edible!? I read it during 'SSR' in seminar class (kids read, teacher reads, everyone reads!) and the kids see me laugh all the time - often at the recipes. Still, there are at least two I am looking forward to tr...more
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Read in April, 2008
This book had some interesting info about how cod fishing led to discovery of new lands, and about the politics of food harvesting from the sea. The serious over-fishing of the sea is discussed. The Cod Wars between Iceland and England were something that I'd never heard about before.
I probably would have given this book 4 stars except that I had to read about 100 cod recipes. That wasn't really my cup of tea. By the way, there are a surprising number of dirty inuendos based on the cod...more
I probably would have given this book 4 stars except that I had to read about 100 cod recipes. That wasn't really my cup of tea. By the way, there are a surprising number of dirty inuendos based on the cod...more
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recommended to Erin by:
Amy
I found this book very engaging and loved the North American history tidbits (having not paid much attention in my high school American history class). After living in Boston and getting to know the northern MA coast, I really appreciated his section on the demise of the cod-fishing industry and its impact on Gloucester.
If the author had included footnotes, so interested readers could go more in depth on some of the issues and facts he presented, this book would be even better.
If the author had included footnotes, so interested readers could go more in depth on some of the issues and facts he presented, this book would be even better.
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I never imagined I would learn so much and find such enjoyment in a book about a fish. This book was so interesting! I picked it up on a fluke and didnt put it down again until I finished it. I loved reading this book because I felt like I learned something from every sentence. I'm a huge fan of context and this book places much of modern world history in the context of one specific marine species. The recipes were funny too. Great book but probably not for everyone.
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I picked this up randomly at the library a few years ago. I love history from weird angles, and this was great. There were so many interesting facts and fishy sides of other stories that I didn't know. It's fast, funny, and ends up in Eastern Canada and the current fishing problems, i.e. lack of fish, governmental regulation, arguments with environmentalists, etc. I think a lot of people would enjoy this book, even those who aren't normally big history buffs.
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Read in October, 2007
recommended to Ngolana by:
no onerecommends it for: all
While one would think a book entirely devoted to codfish would enervate, if not actually annoy, in fact this work is a fascinating examination of the human tendency to greed as played out on a global scale. This is easily equal in quality and complexity, to my mind, with a novel by Dostoevsky, for instance. It follows the trail of guilt and rapacity from early times to today's sad, inadequate harvest and is witty in to the bargain. A great read.
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Amazing summary of the discovery of and the downward spiral of, yes you guessed it, cod. Very thorough history of how it became a worldwide staple, altered the reasons why and the ways in which we preserve food, and what it's winnowing population means about the current health of the seas, and our ability to rely on the ocean's bounty for our own sustainence. Filled throughout with historic recipes (for wacky interest - don't try these at home, kids!)
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This book started the single topic trend in non-fiction (another Kurlansky title) and it is his best. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys good writing. I picked it up in a small book store in Londonderry, NH because I needed something to read and, honestly, I liked he cover. One of my measures of whether a book is well-written is if it makes me want to read about something I have no interest in. I was hooked -- no pun intended -- from the start.
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Read in January, 2003
Although it seems really strange to write a book about a fish, it is really interesting. The author goes through the history of people using cod and how it came to be an important resource for several cultures. He then talks about the impacts of cod fishing are, both ecologically and economically/globally. It is very interesting to see how a fish impacts geopolitics. I don't think it was a difficult read at all and it is an eye opening experience.
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Read in May, 2008
I know I know... the biography of a fish could you get more boring?? But really it is actually quite well written and I am enjoying reading it, so far it has been talking about the history of fishing by geographical location and it is not very technical and reads like a novel (I do admit that I have to read this book for Ichthyology or I never would have picked it up) I am still reading Moby Dick so it goes well with my maritime theme....
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Like Kurlansky's other history on salt, Cod tells the story of the Cod fish and how it has influenced civilization as we know it. This book also has a distinctively environmentalist angle. Whereas salt it an almost inexhaustible mineral, the Cod fish population has been greatly reduced by over-fishing and bad fishing practices such as dragging. Although not as good as Salt this book is still one that shouldn't be missed.
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