I don't read nonfiction works like these more than three or four times a year, mainly because they get me so fascinated and give me so many great ideas for exploring either hobbies, practical applications, research or story ideas that I don't want to read such things one on top of the other.

Eat this city is not an exhaustive history of food in NYC, but rather vignettes of individuals in the city who are connected with food and the raising, catching or producing of it. The author gives each story a fleshing out with the history of the food or beverage in NYC, an overview that is connected back with the individual that she is focusing on for that part of her chapter.

I loved the trip, the information, the stories of individuals. This is a fun type of nonfiction book to read that will provide the reader with a jumping off point. It's well-researched, but won't provide someone looking for extensive details on the historical subject for their own research. However, the list of resources in the back will be a boon for those researchers looking for more detailed information.

I will admit I found it odd that most of the individuals portrayed in this text as the central chapter characters are men. I'm a little disappointed not to see more women featured, though there are plenty of women mentioned in the chapters themselves. I also noticed a pattern where these colorful characters are definitely given an "earthy" side. Rather than focus simply on the businessmen who enabled much of the fortunes and the historical influence, she focuses on the laborers, the small time vegetable growers of the city, the urban beekeeper, and the 'rock star' butcher.

No mistake, the author has her ideals and viewpoints in this book and they come through the text--though it doesn't become overwhelming or preachy to my mind. I think confirmed vegans and vegetarians may find the meat chapter particularly stomach roiling. The author does like to really get into describing the meats and the meat cutting and how the animals are slaughtered.

I think this'll be a popular book with nonfic readers--it fits well with the push to go green and locavore and it gives hope and perspective in years of a troubled economy that we are not bound to big business and corporations for all our sustenance.