Apples

by Frank Browning

This salute to the apple traces its origins in Kazakhstan, offers myths and stories about the fruit, lists its different varieties, and includes some recipes

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, History, Science, Environment

241 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Frank Browning is an American author and former correspondent for National Public Radio.

Reviews

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You could knock me over with a feather right now. This little book about apples from the 90s, though most certainly outdated in places (regarding the science), is a well-written thrill!

Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely lyrical writings, reminiscent of Michael Pollan. Great biology, anthropology, history all-rolled-into-one read.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pleasant meditation on the history of apple cultivation.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be biased as fall apples are my favorite food, but I loved this book. Frank gets a litte too far into the genetics and science of food, but just when I think I can't handle it, he backs off.

if you're into local and global foodways, his history into the folklore of apples and transition into present day apple breeding and global economy is great.

[Jim Noyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this. Held my interest throughoiut, and I realized that there was a whole lot about apples I did not know! Even better, I sampled many of the varieties of apples described, & learned I prefer braeburn's!!

[nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then a book comes along that delves into a particular subject so beautifully that it provides a sort of trellis of wisdom for expanding ones view of the world.

[Patrick O'Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"American" as apple pie? Not so. The search for the first apple tree begins in Khazikstan.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew there was such a great deal of thought put into growing apples? From the origins of apples and ciders to the mythology and religious implications of apples, to the science and tradition surrounding orchards and their progeny, to their importance in different countries' histories and economies, to describing the many types of apples, Browning definitely teaches the reader about the multi-faceted world of apples.

[Jer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was staying at a friend's house, sleeping on the couch for a night. Had a bit of trouble getting to sleep (it was still only around 10pm). I picked this book from his shelf, thinking it would be a dry read, and be put me to sleep. Long story short: I was up to 4am reading, and consumed over 1/2 the book. Gotta find a copy so I can re-read and finish it.

[ReadWithE · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf for fat phobia and general boringness as the book went on

[Connor Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about apples, Kentucky, the USSR, plant genetics, scrumpy, cider, and tradition. What an interesting book!

[Tori Christensen]

I didn't quite finish the book but the first half (at least) that I read was really interesting. I had never had considered the natural history of the apple, but this book caught my eye at the library when I had apples on my brain because of my fall apple harvest. Browning talks about the changes in apple harvesting over time as well as how apples are just as much victims of trend and marketing as clothing. Before reading his book, I had no idea that there were as many apples in the world. I loved hearing about the origin of apples, though I got bogged down and disinterested in his attempts to link the history of apples to the dissemination and movement of peoples and their mythology. I have different theories to how this happened nor do I believe that tracing peoples/mythology through an icon in their stories can be accurate. It is an interesting thought exercise. I probably would have finished the book, but I had to return it to the library and I wasn't so interested that I'd cram it all in.

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

A factual look at apples and apple culture, from the fruit’s role in mythology to its historical beginnings, from the high-tech apple germ-plasm lab at Cornell to modern-day artisanal cider brewers. It reads very much like a series of otherwise unrelated articles, but Browning is a very good writer, so each theme or subsection was elegantly and entertainingly explained. If the book does have an overall theme, it’s that quality apple varieties have slowly been phased out in favor of bland but pretty apples: the supermarket mentality triumphs over the farmers’ market mentality. And that’s too bad.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. When I use to work in a bookstore, I would wander around and think "so many of these books should be pamphlets!" I'm sure they had interesting thesis statements for existing, and a few points to make, but enough with the rambling already. I was on an apple kick this year, and finally got around to reading this. In my mind, I won't be able to not compare and contrast to John McPhee's book about oranges, and the New Yorker article about SweeTango apples. To paraphrase Douglas Adams, I enjoyed Oranges the way I didn't enjoy this book. The New Yorker article is the pamphlet that this book should've been.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I love apples and a graft, grow, prune my own trees. I really liked this book - even more than I thought I would. Frank Browning wrote an engaging and informative book that left me wanting more. I think that in his desire to give a broad overview of apples and apple growing, he moved on from some subjects abruptly. That being said, I enjoyed everything from the mythology through the genetics and history. I just wish there was even more.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a series of poems I've working on about apples. I was mainly interested in the folklore and mythology surrounding the apple, but this book has reference to how the apple got to America, Johnny Appleseed and the development of the apple and apple cider. It served my purposes, but I won't necessarily recommend it for someone who isn't researching the subject.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read about the history of apples and the efforts to preserve wild varieties and use them to improve commercially-grown.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry and disjointed. Extra star for encouraging me to branch out and try new varieties, a million demerits for not mentioning the Honeycrisp except in a list of Top 20 apples at the very end.