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205th out of 221 books
—
63 voters
Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization
In this provocative, wide-ranging book, Richard Manning offers a dramatically revisionist view of recent human evolution, beginning with the vast increase in brain size that set us apart from our primate relatives and brought an accompanying increase in our need for nourishment. For 290,000 years, we managed to meet that need as hunter-gatherers, a state in which Manning b...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
February 1st 2005
by North Point Press
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March 2 to 3, 2013: Coming back to this book after 2.5 years stewing in sustainable agriculture, environmental history, and Deep Ecology, made me realize how impressive Manning's accomplishment with this book was. He fits a vast argument deftly into a relatively short space, giving detailed attention to several major aspects of the issue and drawing really respectfully on a really well-chosen bibliography, books that I have since read many of and that invariably left me much wiser than when I be...more
I was stunned when I picked up this book. I'd been reading about the history of agricultural societies for a while, and reading between the lines that agriculture has changed our society for the worse. Against the Grain took all of my ideas and solidified them.
I had two disappointments with the book. First, there's a big section in the middle about the evils of modern agriculture --- I found that really boring since I've read a lot about that before, but it was essential to the book if you haven...more
I had two disappointments with the book. First, there's a big section in the middle about the evils of modern agriculture --- I found that really boring since I've read a lot about that before, but it was essential to the book if you haven...more
I was a bit unsure what to expect from this book. Manning starts out with some history of agriculture, and conflicts between agricultural and hunter/gatherer type communities and throughout I was rather expecting a Derrick Jensen type conclusion like 'down with agriculture, return to the hunter/gatherer mode'... which didn't come. In fact the conclusion was just a call for more sustainable agriculture, which to me seemed like a weak point to make after all the dissatisfaction with the agricultur...more
A kind of weird history of agriculture - I learned some interesting things, but Manning's use of the anthropological literature is really bad. He cherry picks a few items to support his ideas (that agriculture has made humanity worse and worse off through the years, mainly), and ignores a lot of evidence to the contrary, like relatively egalitarian tribal societies that practiced intensive farming.
If you want to read a lot about the evils of ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) and industrial agricultur...more
If you want to read a lot about the evils of ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) and industrial agricultur...more
Agriculture has domesticated humans. This is the argument at the center of Richard Manning's stunning history of food. Written with journalistic flavor, Manning explores the ways that agriculture has diminished human life and threatens the planet itself.
The book begins by exploring the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, in many ways superior to our own even at the height of industrial capitalism. Hunter-gatherers, it turns out, ate a wider variety of tasty foods, worked far less, and lived much more sen...more
The book begins by exploring the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, in many ways superior to our own even at the height of industrial capitalism. Hunter-gatherers, it turns out, ate a wider variety of tasty foods, worked far less, and lived much more sen...more
although the topic to pull in the reader is agriculture, the underlining message is one of straight up purification from thousands of years of cultural brainwashing the minds of minions of just about any sedentary civilization around.
Danning convincingly argues that playing around in field and forest, plucking ripe fruit off the tree, hunting your own evening meal in sacred sacrament, enjoying sexual interplay and other leisure games against the backdrop of an egalitarian foraging, nomadic life...more
Danning convincingly argues that playing around in field and forest, plucking ripe fruit off the tree, hunting your own evening meal in sacred sacrament, enjoying sexual interplay and other leisure games against the backdrop of an egalitarian foraging, nomadic life...more
I'm sure if I had read this book a few years ago when it came out it would have blown my mind! Thankfully a lot of these issues (with corn especially) are much more in the public consciousness than they used to be, so a lot of the information I already knew. If you are just starting to learn about these issues though this is a great 1st book to read. Even if you are already an expert on the state of agriculture today, the whole first section about the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago is wo...more
For the first half, the book documents the stuff that is wrong with modern corporate export-based agriculture.
After that, it gets more radical and goes all the way back to the beginning of civilization and argues that as we shifted from wandering hunter-gatherers to farmers, we got unhealthy, we started enslaving each other, and creating an aristocracy.
Lots of good facts, but he didn't sell me on the last part.
After that, it gets more radical and goes all the way back to the beginning of civilization and argues that as we shifted from wandering hunter-gatherers to farmers, we got unhealthy, we started enslaving each other, and creating an aristocracy.
Lots of good facts, but he didn't sell me on the last part.
This book turned me into a farmer.
Richard Manning examines the history of grain agriculture from primitive societies up to present day. He posits that primitive hunter gathers moved to a grain agriculture in order to secure food sources during times of conflict, but in doing so they sacrificed their autonomy and varied diet.
Manning also takes a close look at our present agriculture system. He exposes the flaws of relying on a brittle monoculture system based around the use of cheap petrochemical...more
Richard Manning examines the history of grain agriculture from primitive societies up to present day. He posits that primitive hunter gathers moved to a grain agriculture in order to secure food sources during times of conflict, but in doing so they sacrificed their autonomy and varied diet.
Manning also takes a close look at our present agriculture system. He exposes the flaws of relying on a brittle monoculture system based around the use of cheap petrochemical...more
I think this is the book that says, basically, your doctor is not going to believe you (most likely) so I have provided studies in the appendix with which to enlighten him/her. This is important as I know the girls are going to debate traditional nutrition with their teachers in their upcoming health classes and I want them to be prepared.
I think this is the book that Cassidy read cover to cover.
I think this is the book that Cassidy read cover to cover.
A little dry at times,but a different way of looking at things.After I got into it, I started thinking about how vegetarians claim vegetarianism is good for the planet.This gives some different ideas.Over time we've put crops where they shouldn't be.When they fail it leads to famine,erosion and disease.
Themes: food, culture, agriculture and farming, evolution, sociology, poverty, family, human nature
This one sure didn't impress me at first - see message 76 - but it was ultimately worth reading. Manning ranged far and wide in his condemnation of agriculture. From mankind's origin as hunter-gatherers, to the widespread problem of poverty and malnutrition, to modern agribusiness and how it is ruining the ecology of the earth as a whole, he gave me a lot to think about. I really knew almost nothin...more
This one sure didn't impress me at first - see message 76 - but it was ultimately worth reading. Manning ranged far and wide in his condemnation of agriculture. From mankind's origin as hunter-gatherers, to the widespread problem of poverty and malnutrition, to modern agribusiness and how it is ruining the ecology of the earth as a whole, he gave me a lot to think about. I really knew almost nothin...more
This book is a pre-cursor to Michael Pollan's 'In Defense of Food' and as a result of reading these books, I have reduced the amount of processed food I consume and increasedthe amount of local and/or organic food I eat.
Higly recommended.
Higly recommended.
I enjoyed this book and consider it a complement to Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. I thought In Defense of Food focused on diet, and I think Against the Grain has an interest agriculture perspective.
Well written and informative. I have read a lot of the things he talks about in other books but there were some new and interesting ideas that he explored about the problems with agriculture - especially industrial farming.
Excellent, excellent book. Another book that I always come back to.
Joel Salatin says a great way to judge a farmer is to take a look at his bookshelf.
Since reading that, I've been vaccilating over all the place with my choice of books on food from say middle school to college levels. This is definitely college level, probably junior year.
He's not as great a writer as Michael Pollan, but the material is much more advanced. Highly recommended; particularly the first few chapters where he argues that humans didn't readily choose agriculture, but by doing so, we...more
Since reading that, I've been vaccilating over all the place with my choice of books on food from say middle school to college levels. This is definitely college level, probably junior year.
He's not as great a writer as Michael Pollan, but the material is much more advanced. Highly recommended; particularly the first few chapters where he argues that humans didn't readily choose agriculture, but by doing so, we...more
Everyone who eats should read this book.
Fabulous. I thought this was going to be just another retread of all the real but by now over-familiar problems of modern agriculture (chemical farming, monoculture, agribusiness, food miles, etc). Instead it takes us back 10,000 years to show how the development of agriculture itself precipitated our current messy state of affairs. In other words, this is the book that makes you want to be a hunter-gatherer. That may not seem relevant today but somehow it is. Just trust me. Read it.
Lots to think about here - fascinating.
I am speechless and in awe of the profound brilliance of this book. I can say with absolute certainty that my life, as I knew it, has changed - and in a tremendous, positive and exciting way. WOW.
This is a perspective-changing work, very much worth reading. In an approachable, conversational style, the author conveys his research and angle on history so effectively that after several years, I still call back to his examples on a regular basis in conversation. The picture of modern anthropology he paints is fascinating, revolutionary and provocative in the extreme. If you give a shit about life in this day and age, read this.
Well to be honest I am not going to learn much. But I am interested in the particulars of his viewpoint.
I admit that this caught my eye because of the (unintentional?) Bad Religion reference. However, I certainly found a lot within this book that made sense... I pretty much completely agree that agriculture as currently practiced is a bad idea. Problem is, I don't see the way out, unless most people fly away to space or die
Feb 10, 2010
Susan
added it
This book is exactly what the title suggests, although digs deeper into human history and evolution than you'd think. It's a fascinating account of what made us switch to agriculture 10,000 years ago...
Aug 03, 2008
Luke
added it
Manning's history on how we came to see food as something to be captured, refined and processed was worth the price of the book.
interesting insight into history of agriculture and its impact on the modern world.
Very interesting view on how agriculture affects our civilization.
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“Famine was the mark of a maturing agricultural society, the very badge of civilization.”
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“A thirty-two-ounce soda and a tank of gas is America distilled to its seminal fluids.”
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Apr 24, 2008 08:05am