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3.0 of 5 stars

Close to three quarters of U.S. households buy orange juice. Its popularity crosses class, cultural, racial, and regional divides. Why do so man... read full description


reviews

Jun 28, 2009
Jill rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This book is written in a very academic style, and it's best for somebody who truly cares about a history of not just how orange juice evolved through the last century but about processed foods in general (with OJ as a specific example). There's nothing too sinister about OJ and it certainly won't kill you, but the marketing definitely misrepresents the final product. OJ is heated several times during processing and orange oil is removed from the juice (oil that got into the juice by squeezing t More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
May 28, 2010
sdw rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Orange juice won’t kill you but that doesn’t mean that we are buying what we think we are. Hamilton points out the degree of misinformation and the marketing manipulation at work in production and consumption of Florida orange juice. I have read Fast Food Nation, Omnivore’s Dilemma , Chicken , Tangled Roots , Stuffed and Starved , Food Politics , and many other similar works and still I was shocked.

Alissa Hamliton’s research into the history of the orange juice industry and the p More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Jun 21, 2010
penny rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Sadly, as I sit to write this review I discovered that I misplaced the many notes I took on this book. First, for a book published by an academic press I found it quite approachable considering I have little experience in nutrition, American food history, or the agricultural history of Florida. I learned a good deal about all of these topics and found the book informative and reassuring, in that I knew I wasn't drinking the OJ my brain wanted if I bought it at the supermarket, and probably not e More...
Mar 11, 2009
Angie marked it as to-read
Squeezed: What You Don't Know About Orange Juice is about the orange juice industry and the practices used by companies in making it. It follows the same type of content as in Fast Food Nation (but by a different author), except this book is about orange juice. If you want to read an interview of the author and get a better sense of the book, you can read it here. I’ll post my own thoughts of the book when I read it.
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Sep 28, 2010
Susan rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Orange juice is healthy and wholesome. We drink it because it's fresh, full of Vitamin C and made from the natural fruit of orange trees. Right? Not hardly, says Alissa Hamilton in this darkly absorbing history of the Florida orange juice industry. Even if the carton says "not from concentrate," what you drink when you pour a glass of conventional, pre-squeezed orange juice is wholly industrialized, more a product of laboratory "food science" than of those sunshine-nourished More...
Oct 03, 2009
Richard rated it: 3 of 5 stars
What does Bing Crosby, the agricultural revolution, NFC and FDA S.341 have to do with orange juice? They all help 'define' orange juice as we know it today. Squeezed examines Florida orange juice, the product and the industry, from a historical perspective to its current state as we all find in the grocery aisle. Squeezed tries to answer this basic question, is orange juice really orange juice?

While I found the book to be interesting, especially development of a orange juice stan More...
Oct 23, 2010
Rae rated it: 2 of 5 stars
Quite a slog to work through, but still interesting enough. Most of what we eat just isn't at all what it appears to be. Even when we DO read the labels. OJ isn't harmful, but it also isn't just orange juice.
Oct 22, 2009
AJ rated it: 4 of 5 stars
An interesting expose into the orange juice industry. I had no idea how processed not from concentrate orange juice is (although I already knew it doesn't taste as good as fresh squeezed oranges), and how the juice industry is really undermining Florida citrus growers. However, it really comes as no surprise.
May 31, 2009
Mark marked it as to-read
... this looks great, esp. since I really dislike orange juice in all its manifestations...
Feb 18, 2010
Ryan rated it: 3 of 5 stars
A look at what actually is in that box or can of orange juice at the supermarket (including how companies push the boundaries of the FDA standards).
Aug 04, 2009
David added it
Academic, but good info. Tropicana ain't what it says it is!
Jun 18, 2010
Thom rated it: 3 of 5 stars
So many good reviews so I'll just add. "The more you know"
Jan 02, 2011
Katherine rated it: 4 of 5 stars
You know those books like Freakonomics that are written by 1 content person and 1 professional writer? This book could have seriously benefited by using this method. Instead it is just the content person who is a decent writer but not great. Fortunately the content is amazing and completely new -- I guarantee you will not have thought about 80% of what she talks about in the book. Acknowledge the sometimes-painful writing style and read the book anyway -- you'll be glad you did.
Apr 27, 2011
Katherine rated it: 2 of 5 stars
Great topic, terrible writing. Ok not terrible, but semi-painful to read.
Feb 13, 2012
Grant rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Feb 09, 2012
Jessi marked it as to-read
Jan 31, 2012
Unemployed Brat marked it as to-read
Jan 30, 2012
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Jan 30, 2012
Templehurst marked it as to-read
Jan 26, 2012
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Jan 22, 2012
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Jan 20, 2012
Susan rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Jan 19, 2012
Trever marked it as to-read
Jan 19, 2012
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Jan 19, 2012
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Jan 17, 2012
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Jan 15, 2012
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Jan 14, 2012
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Jan 11, 2012
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Jan 08, 2012
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