绝世美味

by Lenore Newman

从旧石器时代的猛犸象，到上世纪灭绝的渡渡鸟；从古罗马时代的罗盘草，到一百年前才灭绝的旅鸽……在人类持续的消耗下，每个世纪都有一种食物灭绝。

食物多样性正在加速消失。由此，两位饮食地理学家开启了一场食物寻根之旅，探寻历史上被食至灭绝的消逝物种、散落各地的“美食活化石”、餐桌常客的前世今生、未来可能大行其道的新食物……

这是一次饮食与自然史的漫游，一份灭绝与濒危食物物种的调研手记，也是未来环境的启示录——

除了那些消失的“绝世美味”，人类还将失去什么？在物种多样性锐减的今天，未来人类的饮食将走向何方？

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, History, Science, Audiobook, Environment, Nature

326 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2019

About the author

Dr. Lenore Newman is a writer and urban geographer. She holds a Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Environment, and is an Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Lenore studies culinary geographies, and just completed a book on Canadian cuisine. She also researches food security, with a particular focus on farmland preservation, the dynamics of the rural-urban edge, and agriburban landscapes.

Lenore lives in Vancouver, Canada. She sits on the board of the Vancouver Farmers Markets society, and can often be found volunteering at the Trout Lake Farmers Market. She is passionate about food, and is happiest when cooking, eating, drinking, or sharing meals with friends. In her spare time she enjoys writing, pattern-hunting, and drinking coffee on Commercial Drive. She plays the piano, and keeps trying to find time to learn to play the cello.

Reviews

[Kara Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of culinary extinction came to my attention late last year, and it was one of those very intriguing, “Oh, yeah, I want to know more abou that” moments. I listened to Lenore Newman on an interview with Quirks & Quarks, and I also added Rob Dunn’s Never Out of Season to my to-read list at the same time (my library just happened to have this book and not Dunn’s, so I’m reading this one first). Culinary extinction is one of those unintended and often overlooked consequences of globalization that I thought about as I reviewed The Reality Bubble by Ziya Tong. Topics like GMOs are sensationalized in media, yet we forget that we humans have been reshaping this whole planet and its biosphere for tens of thousands of years now. More recently, globalization and capitalism mean those of us here in North America think of the kiwi fruit as a single type of fruit, for example, when in reality there are a vast number of wild cultivars—most of them just aren’t mass-grown and marketed here. Lost Feast is not just about what we have lost from our tables but also about what we have chosen to replace those lost foods—as well, of course, as which items might be in danger now.

Each chapter deals with a different aspect of food production, sometimes following a specific food item, such as cows or honey or pears, and sometimes tracing more complex agricultural chains. Newman bookends the chapters with anecdotes, mostly involving her friend Dan salivating over getting to cook a themed meal based on what she was researching for the chapter. This structural decision may have been my least favourite part of the book. Your mileage may vary, and to be fair, it did grow on me towards the end of the book.

That’s where I’ll start: Lost Feast feels unfocused. In attempting to discuss a vast swath of human-related or human-caused extinctions, Newman wanders through the garden of our culinary past in a way that left me with an appetite for more (but not in a good way). I’m sure that the author would agree that this book is very much a survey of our culinary past, that entire books could be (and have been) written about individual foods, like silphium or honey or passenger pigeons. So don’t take that as a criticism of the book so much as a description: Lost Feast is a grand, multi-course meal but the portions of each course are on the shallow side. Did you like the dessert? You’ll want to find a restaurant that serves it up as a main course.

So, stylistically, Lost Feast did not satisfy me. In terms of its content, there’s definitely interesting stuff happening here. I like that Newman explores potential futures of food, and while I was aware of some of the differences among “lab grown” meat versus Beyond or Impossible burgers, she really lays this out clearly for newcomers to the subject—it’s very easy to get all these different alternatives to industrially-farmed meat confused, but in reality, there are so many different, competing types of alternatives. Similarly, I like that Newman takes us into the infrastructures beyond contemporary food production, such as her explanation of how modern beekeeping works. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, this is my jam: tell me all about these complex but overlooked systems that are just chugging along in the background of my life to get me that product that’s sitting in my cupboard.

I’m very intrigued to see how this one stacks up to Dunn’s book and a few others on related topics that I would love to read, should I be able to get my hands on them. With an A+ for information by C for writing style (from my perspective at least), Lost Feast is not a book I would race out to buy or borrow regardless of your interest level. Nevertheless, it is definitely a useful, informative read if you want to pick it up.

Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.

[Denver Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful, almost conversational read that lights on a variety of bits of culinary history, ranging from pad thai–stealing gulls to the reinvention of the hamburger to the extinction of passenger pigeons (and the many recipes for serving it before it disappeared). Newman shares many of her adventures with a sidekick named Dan who adds to the fun. The personal nature of the narrative drew me in, making me feel like the author was just hanging out telling (true) tales! Readers will learn a great deal about food diversity (and lack of it), growing and harvesting crops, and more. Like—did you know that vanilla has a sex life?!

[Jessica (bean) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was enjoyable, but I wouldn’t read it again. Felt bogged down at some parts (maybe it’s just the flashbacks to biology class I got…), but, overall, I felt like I learned stuff so that’s good.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly basic read to me to be honest.

I did find some of it interesting and discovered some good foods, but it just wasn’t anything too spectacular to me.

3.0/5

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think of a great library of flavours. For the last century we have been recklessly burning all of the books. [loc. 1824[

The author is a professor of culinary geography, a job I had no idea existed: 'combines my love of travel with my love of eating'. Her investigation of species extinction and its impact on cuisine takes her from Iceland to Hawaii, from musings on mammoths -- the wave of their extinction moved at a human's walking pace -- to being eaten alive by mosquitoes in Canada's far north whilst in search of bison. (Newman is Canadian, and frequently contrasts food availability and gastroculture in the US and in Canada.)

Humans have domesticated, farmed or industrialised only a tiny percentage of edible plants and animals. Megafauna such as mammoths, dodos and aurochs have been driven extinct, or bred into safer forms, but there are vast swathes of the invertebrate kingdom left untasted. As Newman's subtitle indicates, this book is not merely a paean to vanished species, but an exploration of alternatives to the resource-intensive, ecologically-damaging agricultural methods that are devastating ecologies worldwide.

Lost Feast is packed with memorable (and often horrifying) statistics, presented in an accessible form. On American farming: "Roughly half of the calories we grow on the 14 percent of the earth’s land surface used for crop farming is actually eaten by people; 36 percent of the remainder is eaten by animals, with the last portion used for ethanol.In the meat-loving United States, only 27 percent of crops are eaten directly by people... it takes one hundred calories of grain to produce twelve calories of chicken; the same grain produces only three calories worth of beef." [loc. 933] Some of the assertions seemed wildly improbable -- were there really no honey bees in North America until 1621? yes, really!-- but there is a substantial bibliography, and plenty of citations.

Kudos, by the way, to Newman: many of the books she cites as inspiration are the work of female academics, for instance How to Clone a Mammoth, by Beth Shapiro; Defending Beef by Nicolette Niman; and The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert, a key text.

Interspersed with Newman's explorations are 'extinction dinners', in which her friend Dan creates a meal that approximates the extinct, or problematic, food that Newman has discussed. Some of these dinners are more appealing than others (pears with fish sauce? I don't care if it was a Roman delicacy) and some -- such as the feast of invasive species Dan prepares during their Hawai'ian trip -- are mouthwatering. Perhaps most germane is the 'Burger 2.0' meal, in which Dan explores alternatives to the traditional beefburger. ('recent studies suggest that each cow is more damaging in terms of climate change impact than the average car.' [loc. 753]). The 'taste testers' include enthusiastic carnivore Dan, and a vegan friend: their consensus was that the Beyond Burger (pea protein, yeast and coconut oil) is a serious contender, and also waaaay too meaty for the vegan.

This is a marvellous read, reminiscent of Margaret Visser's Much Depends on Dinner in its discursive approach, its weaving together of social, geographical and historical factors, and its occasional wry humour. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for this honest review!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Feast introduces us to several species who were literally eaten to death. The author takes us on a journey through extinct foods and historic meals, presenting an incredibly sad topic in a way that is engaging and often humorous. It's a well written book, poignant and beautiful.

[Zain Hashmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent foray into food science, good for beginners and veterans alike. The writer takes great care to introduce the basics of agrobiology and food science before delving into heavier concepts. Seasoned biotechnologists may find the initial chapters a little slow and redundant but there’s still a lot to be discovered throughout the book. Despite the overall grimness of the topic there’s a lighthearted joy in the writing style with sprinkles of wry humour. As my first book of 2024, I’d say it’s off to a great start. It’s a must read on the state of the world’s food systems, and it will definitely encourage readers to expand their culinary horizons.

[Hazel Bright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far too much boring chit chat. I don't care about Dan or the author's mom or how the author spent her day all that much.

[Xerxia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost feast is a delightful, light and at times quite funny look at a very heavy subject: extinction of species that humans use for food. The book is thoughtful and well-researched, but it's presented as more of a chat with a friend, a series of stories and anecdotes with history and science broken down into easy to digest pieces. I couldn't help sharing all of the fascinating little factoids I found in there with anyone who was in the room (or a text away). This is definitely a book I want to share with the people in my life and have long discussions about.

(To be clear - this is not written for food scientists or hardcore environmentalists, it's far too 'dumbed down' for that. This is a book for foodies and urban gardeners and other people who are vaguely disquieted by what's happening in our world and with our food supply. A book designed to start the thinking and talking process. After the main narrative is a very robust list of further reading. Think of Lost Feast as the appetiser in the grand buffet of culinary extinction.)

[Casey (ish-i-ness) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If read as a series of essays, with no intent of an overarching argument or thesis, this book is entertaining. Newman has a knack for giving a quick overview of history, and summarizing the larger ideas linked to one event or consequence, which makes you feel you have a solid grasp on things within only a few paragraphs. However, that very ability makes the books feel flighty and random. It’s not obvious why she chose any particular animal or plant other than she happened to think of it, and despite mentions of consequences and potential solutions, she’s moving on to the next idea before it feels like she’s made any conclusions. It makes for a book that is entertaining and informative that still feels superficial. I’d still recommend it as a good pick if you’re in the mood for nonfiction but don’t want anything too dense.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with this book.

The coworker who works at the desk next to mine has heard me tell at least three other coworkers about the Ansault pear.

I made my partner pause his music in the car while I was reading in the passenger seat to tell him that ALL cows today may have come from a SINGLE aurochs domestication event (apparently they’re all descended from as few as 30 aurochs).

I’m pretty sure a passenger pigeon showed up in my dream the other night.

I’m feeling an unreasonable urge to try mead.

I’m even more psyched to make bread with the einkorn flour I have in my kitchen than I already was (not that einkorn flour was even mentioned in the book, but it’s related).

My copy of the book is all bent and well-loved already because I’ve been carrying it around with me everywhere for the last week.

That said, I am pretty much the perfect audience for this book, as someone who is really into baking/cooking and who studied environmental history in college. So no promises that you will be as obsessed with it as I am, but I really hope you are.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly fascinating book on culinary extinction. What did we use to eat? Why did it go extinct? What have we lost? What has taken its place?

This book is very readable, and not at all academic. I saw the author on a panel, and found her so interesting that I had to pick up this book. I really enjoyed it, and her sense of humour came through.

The author travels to different areas of the globe, but she's from the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, so there are a lot of Lower Mainland/Vancouver scenes, if that's your bag.

[Lamandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because l loved the books Animal, Vegetable Miracle, Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food and the documentary What the Health. I should have just reread/rewatched the above instead of delving into this unfocused work which selectively focused on certain food groups ad naseum (more than you ever wanted to know about the passenger pigeon and pears, for instance). Dense and boring.

[Delilah Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting exploration in the foods of past with a focusing lens on current endangered species and efforts in science to find alternatives to edible animal and plant species that are doing harm to our environments and food systems. Offers a nice tour of our global food system, bouncing around to areas like bee cultivation, pears of the past, vat-grown meats, fruit hunters, foods of the Roman empire, and more.

[Maheema H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing took a little getting used to at the start but I learned a lot!!! Food supply is so interesting and important!!!

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult one to rate. On the one hand, the author's account of vanished and vanishing flora and fauna was fascinating and scary and sad in pretty much equal measure. The chapter on the disappearance of the passenger pigeon was particularly heartbreaking.

On the other hand, the author herself and her friends are by no means as intriguing as she thinks they are. I really don't care about her burst appendix or her vegan friend's distress over the "meatiness" of faux beef.

So, five stars for the extinction story and three stars for the author's story.

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food and extinction. Everyone doesn't necessarily think those go hand and hand. Lost Feast is an ambitious book by Lenore Newman that explores the various ways in which we humans have driven some species to extinction or the brink of extinction. Newman covers the whole gamut from large wild animals to small birds, insects, fruits, etc. Each chapter of the book covers a different type of food where Newman and her friend (and fellow scientist) Dan have "extinction dinners". At these meals, they cook up food related to the area she is discussing. These could be reflective of food we have lost to extinction or meals we could be eating in the future due to endangered food. Newman also takes deep dives and discusses the history of a particular type of food and what has driven that food-source to extinction or the endangered list. For example ,the theory of mammoths being driven to extinction by hungry humans who saw them as an easy source of food.

This book combined two of my passions: science and food, so I found it very interesting. I learned a lot of new and fascinating facts from this book. The book isn't all doom & gloom; it left me hopeful for the future of our planet and food.

I recommend this to anyone who has concerns about the future of our planet as it offers up a different take than the typical "the weather is changing and ocean levels are rising".

I have received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly informative and readable, and funny to boot. Not as doom-and-gloom as I'd feared, though it does leave much to fret about.
About the only bone I have to pick, so to speak, is about her coverage of the cattle industry. Yes, the corporate cattle industry is terrible and destructive, but when Newman talks about the impacts of cattle on our systems and how lab-made "meat" is emerging, she never deals with what will happen to the ranchers. The real ranchers, to whom it's a way of life and a legacy. I'm all for improving our food production systems, but you can't forget about the human element involved in them. Saving one thing can't mean wiping out another.
Here's just one example of Newman's amusing writing style: "By the 1980s, when I was taking the Red Delicious apples from my lunch and tossing them into the woods, this single variety made up three-quarters of the harvest in Washington State." I CAN RELATE; I still won't touch a wrongly-named Red Delicious apple.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed learning a bit about culinary extinction, I found the format and writing style of this book difficult to get through. The book lacks a thesis--information is presented at many different levels, from talking about specific species that went extinct to discussing ancient cultivation techniques to theories about the future of food and lab-grown meat. It's a survey of many pieces of information, but at a shallow level that feels disorganized. Also, the author spends a lot of time talking about the process of deciding to write a book and what her friend and colleague Dan thinks of her work and findings. This "meta" information about her process detracts from the content--I understand she was attempting to weave in a personal narrative through her extinction dinners but believe this would have been possible without such unnecessary detail.

Docked an extra star for the surprising number of mispronunciations in the audiobook. Definitely took me out of the moment to hear about someone's travels "aboard" (the sentence clearly must have read "abroad") or the "Noble" Prize (instead of "Nobel"). Should have been taking notes--there were many more!

Altogether I'd say skip it.

[Samantha Orszulak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an important read since culinary extinction and the decrease of food sources is a huge issue everyone is dealing with around the world. And of course humans are the main cause for these lost species and foods.

The author takes you through a multitude of food - ones were are currently at risk of losing and ones we lost in the past, so there is some historical stories incorporated that are fascinating. I would say I have three critiques of this book: 1) I understand her personal stories, however, they just aren’t that interesting in comparison to the factual parts of the book and 2) I think she should have dedicated more of the book to the loss of ocean life and seafood and 3) there wasn’t a ton of action items to take away as in how do we fix this issue or do better, I think it is more up to the reader to figure that out.

Overall, I think this book shows us how important it is to conserve our environment better since it will directly impact our food sources.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foodies. I admit to being one, somewhat. I'll try any food at least once (no thank you taste). But some foodies can actually behave like locusts. The rarer the better. The more expensive and exclusive the better. It's why caviar is so expensive and potentially devastating to the sturgeon that produce it. Foodies are killing off species and plants. Weather is also devastating land and killing off crops. It's a timely book. We all like to eat, maybe we should learn to eat a bit more responsibly. Lenore Newman's book is an interesting look at how humans and the climate have driven species extinction. It's an interesting book.

I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like an enlightening lecture or documentary. This was my first pick when looking for evening reading among a too-tall stack of library books. Newman is skilled at providing information, but the pace stumbles when she attempts to provide a change of pace via personal stories. The personal stories need to be more strongly drawn and blended in. She uses a credible POV to share information on culinary extinction that doesn't shirk in relaying the facts of our world-this is what happened, this is what's happening now, this is what's gonna happen. Blam. She lets us know early on that this won't be a comprehensive history, but she'll use examples to demonstrate trends, worthwhile reading.

[Steve Koyasako · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for the Science Friday Book Club. It was though-provoking, but I mostly enjoyed it because the author is pretty funny. She employs the interesting concept of a book that discusses the subject matter through telling a story about the author's book-writing process. This includes some lovely descriptions of "extinction dinners" with her research partner, Dan. The writing process could have included more editing, however, as I found some editorial mistakes that were rather distracting.

Newman states that agriculture started independently in China in the Yangtze Valley, whereas it was really the Huang Ho, or Yellow River Valley. Later, the word "Siberia" is misspelled as "Serbia" in discussing the life of Russian botanist Nikolai Vavilov. And in discussing the cuisine of Hawaii, "musubi" is misspelled as "musabi", and "shoyu" as "shoyo" (I should know, I have relatives there; I attribute this to bad note taking). The problem with little errors like this is that this makes you wonder if all the other assertions made by the author have been fact-checked. I truly hope that they have been. For example, is it true that the average American eats three burgers a week? It's not true for me anymore; I haven't had one this year.

This book has reinforced many of the beliefs that I have held for a long time about our food supply. Luckily, Sacramento is trying to carve a niche for itself as "America's Farm-to-Fork Capitol" -- promoting locally-produced meats and vegetables of all kinds, even farm-raised fish. It is developing its own terroir cuisine based on the abundance of local produce and unique landrace cultivars that are being preserved or reintroduced for flavor and appearance.

I am also attempting to grow more of my own food in a backyard garden using homemade compost from a vermiculture bin. One thing about home gardening is that when you harvest, you get more than you can use, so you need to have a crop swap with neighbors, which our community association organizes. After all, what are you going to do with five buckets of Swiss chard?

We still buy a lot of industrially-produced food because it's cheap and they are our staples: rice, bread, bananas, some other fruits and vegetables, like olives. I agonize over fish, which used to be a major part of or diet -- now it's hard to find sustainably-caught fish which are reasonably priced. Many of the species that I used to consume on the West Coast are commercially extinct, and many others are on their way out. My cousin, who's a commercial fisherman, is worried about the future of the industry, as the fishing seasons are cut back and catches are reduced.

If the world governments can't get their act together and end climate change, habitat loss (like the deforestation of the Amazon), overfishing, and other abuses documented in this book, we're going to end up eating Soylent Green.

[Addison Breese Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and fascinating book.

🍎"a seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible"

🥕our foods do not exist in a vacuum … how many species, how many hands, how many miles, how many chemicals have are behind what’s on your plate? "nature is a web, held together by keystone species and mutualisms"

🍯“Dit moi que manges, je te direr qui tu es : tell me what you eat, I will tell you who you are”

🌶️“…think about the rich variety and complexity that food brings to our lives … and how the loss of species used by humans in their food system that chips away at that richness. A plant here, an animal there. And with them, piece by piece, go cuisine. Cuisine is important. And if cuisine is important, culinary ingredients are also important, as are the ecosystems they come from. If we loose our cuisine, we lose parts of ourselves”

•••••••••••••••••

An informative and interesting deep dive into not only the history of eating, but also a critical analysis of historical culinary extinctions... from the lost bounty of fifteen thousand apple varieties, to the 450 varieties of lettuce now extinct, and 87% of pear cultivars gone to the world. (Not to mention mastodons, passenger pigeons, the dodo and most megafauna.) And to this day, the precarious position of our global food system in the face of the Anthropocene. From tuna, to coffee, bananas, chocolate, and wine, the foods we love and treasure are at steak (haha) and Newman's book is a step in the right direction to sound the urgently needed clarion call that the earth's varied species deserve.

🍣☕️🍌🍫🍷


Newman does an incredible job of humanizing the dire consequences of plant and animal extinction, illustrating the intrinsic and inextricable link between the land/systems that feed us and our plates. There is so much to be either saved or lost for future generations of humanity’s plates, and the choice lies with us.

How did the industrial killing fields in Chicago, the railroad system, refrigeration and styrofoam transform the way we eat? How do the ways we feed the world today need to adapt in order to keep feeding the world in a way that can be sustained? How does eating seasonally and locally change the local ecosystem and bioregion around you while also providing better health and nutritional outcomes?

I think this is a must-read for anyone interested in eating, cooking, cuisine, farming, the environment or geological/cultural anthropological history. I do wish everyone would read it though.

I will say there is a bit too much fluff for me, and I would prefer more straight science chapters - but the more fluffy parts are probably going to suit other readers more who are less interested in food systems and environmental sciences.

🐓🐖🐄 🌽🏹 🦬🦤🦣☄️ 🦕 🪻🌻🦖🌲

[Carly Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romantic, cozy, rich. This book is more anthropological than you'd expect; Newman dedicates a lot of writing to the history of our relationship to culinary foods now extinct, focusing on their place in human culture. Her motivating concern stems from an understanding of the relationship between biodiversity and cultural richness. She argues they have a direct relationship: when culinary species are lost, so are the cultural traditions that surround them. From this perspective, the book is well-balanced between cultural history and explanations of biological threats.

She doesn't spend too much time on the future of food, I think to a point that the title should be changed. The only serious description of a food future was the chapter on cultured meat. Often you're left feeling uneasy about the future because sections would close with a re-cap of the specific ecological threat, and then her stance that the future is bad unless something is done, but the "something" is usually not described.

Unfortunately I thought Newman's structure of research-then-feast was a little hypocritical. Generally, Newman describes the historical and cultural significance of an extinct food, then how it became extinct, then prepares a meal honoring it. A major driver of ecological destruction is overconsumption, so it was a little strange to present this problem then follow it up with a luxurious meal. It elicited the same frustration I have with the current haute food trend: we fetishize expensive and rare foods at a time when we don't appreciate how we're putting these foods at risk through ecological destruction. It seems that Newman gets that, which is why her emphasis on indulgence was disappointing.

[Krista | theliterateporcupine · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a food lover and aspiring globe-trotter, this book immediately appealed to me. I found this nonfiction work to be informative, yet accessible and a quick read.

In her book, Newman takes the reader on a culinary journey, spanning time and continents. The rich descriptions throughout the story will cause any cuisine connoisseur's mouth to water. The author discusses animals and plants, their impact on culinary arts, and their unfortunate demise. Newman also documents the history of recipes and how they have shifted over time to accommodate lost species and the human's ever-changing taste buds.

In addition to the discussion on extinct foods, the author discusses her travels (with friends and alone) to learn more about the impact extinction has on cuisine. While these tangents were often amusing and added a personal touch to the story, I found them to be distracting and randomly placed throughout. There should have been a smoother transition between the discussion of global warming and Newman and her friend cooking the Beyond Burger in their kitchen, for example.

Informative and amusing, I would recommend this book to any conscientious foodie.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how Lenore Newman managed to write an interesting and, if not upbeat at least light, book about the plants and animals that are going extinct at a startling rate. In fact, this book is almost a fun read if only just for the silly footnotes and the story of being mugged by gulls for her pad Thai.

Have your ever thought of cows as the mammoths of our era? Did you know that all of the bananas we eat are basically the same plant? We're losing diversity, we're dedicating our resources to foods that are transportable, uniform, and have a decent shelf life.

This book will take you through the extinction of mammoths and passenger pigeons and dodos, tell you about the dangers of monoculture, and explain why our food choices are both being narrowed and widened.

And you'll get the stories of Lenore Newman's friends and the foods they eat and the things they drink. And the message is a bit horrifying but the messenger can entertain with her stories -- and those footnotes.

And in the end, wabi-sabi.

Thanks to the Science Friday Book Club for introducing me to this wonderful book.

[Ângela Maresch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because its title captivated me. This was mainly a strange topic to me, and I was ready for another dull book with too much historical details and trying to fit way too much information on the shortest amount of pages. But gladly, I have discovered a very well written testimony on the tainted love us humans have for our favourite food! Lenore brings a light and relevant perspective on our relationship with specific foods, and natural resources in general, putting to test (and discussion) the recent efforts to make eating more ethical and sustainable. The book finishes with a very constructive conclusion, supporting the preservation of our most treasured species instead of trying, often way too late, to revert our damage to them.
I couldn't comment on the book without mentioning the Extinction Dinners. The Extinction Dinners were a meeting that the author had with a foodie friend where they experienced thematic meals, related to the topics of study. This is a fantastic idea and I am planning on stealing... I mean, adapting it!

[Sue Trav · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. Well researched and full of scientific facts but it did not read like a textbook. Fascinating facts about climate change. One cow does more damage to our climate than one car! The reality that we have access to only a fraction of the fruits and veggies that we did 100 years ago is a shame. There is a trend towards local, seasonal foods but the global food system dictates what we have access to and eat. I do enjoy out of season fruits/veggies but this has made me pause and consider my consumption of chicken and fish (luckily I don't eat beef or drink milk).

I enjoy an author who is descriptive but not too wordy. Dr. Newman's writing has a perfect balance. I felt like I was there with her in Hawaii, on the West Coast of BC and in the other locations as well. I really enjoyed reading about the dinners her friend Dan made along the way. I want the baclava recipe after reading her description. All the food descriptions were seriously mouth watering - don't read this while hungry.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of great, and depressing, factoids on the impact humans have on their food. But, it’s not a great book. Most chapters are organized around a contrived event that allows the author to introduce and discuss a topic, and most discussion feels forced.

This does nothing to negate the reality of the problems the author discusses, but I feel you really have to be into food to stick with this book, and if you’re really into food then you probably know a good deal of this already. Or at least you know about these problems and this book will elucidate the impact on several specific plants and animals.

In the end, I liked it for the facts gleaned, but I’m really into food and don’t believe this book has the structure or persuasive power to interest and influence significant change in the way people think about eating because it doesn’t connect with people who don’t think about the way they eat.