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belwood303's review against another edition
3.0
I think my brother Wade would like this book, it reminded me a lot of him. My sister is also an urban farmer now with goat, chickens and bees near downtown Denver. I liked this book for a number of reasons but mainly because the authors are an inspiration of the hard work and resolve required to set goals and follow through even when you are frustrated or you have to give up coffee to do so. A fast and inspiring read.
jeannie_75's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book and like the unfolding of their adventure. They live in a truly magical place.
librarianinperiwinkle's review against another edition
4.0
Basically, Plenty is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for the urban dweller. It's the story of one couple's determination to get off the petrochemicals & pollution diet our global food supply has turned into these past few decades. They made a decision to--for one year--only buy & eat food grown/raised/gathered within 100 miles of their Vancouver, BC, apartment, started blogging about it, and learned just how many people were interested in their story.
I enjoyed how the authors took turns writing the chapters, so readers get two different perspectives on this adventure. I felt I got to know the authors--to the point where I got really anxious when they nearly broke up over canning tomatoes. And they inspired me to plant a garden in my back yard next year as well as to resume purchasing the bulk of my produce from my local farmer's market this summer. I just wish I knew how to cook (or even recognize!) half the vegetables J.B. MacKinnon writes about using.
In reader's advisory terms: the main doorways are story and character, although setting is fairly important as well. Many of the chapters include stories and information about the history of people, wildlife, and food in the Pacific Northwest--which I found fascinating and often sad.
I enjoyed how the authors took turns writing the chapters, so readers get two different perspectives on this adventure. I felt I got to know the authors--to the point where I got really anxious when they nearly broke up over canning tomatoes. And they inspired me to plant a garden in my back yard next year as well as to resume purchasing the bulk of my produce from my local farmer's market this summer. I just wish I knew how to cook (or even recognize!) half the vegetables J.B. MacKinnon writes about using.
In reader's advisory terms: the main doorways are story and character, although setting is fairly important as well. Many of the chapters include stories and information about the history of people, wildlife, and food in the Pacific Northwest--which I found fascinating and often sad.
lanica's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book; although, it was written at the beginning of the 'movement' and now reads a little bit like a history. :)
I liked that it was easy and incredibly difficult. I liked that they made their own rules. I liked that they cheated. It all read like a 'If they can do it...I can do it' sort of how-to book.
I liked that it was easy and incredibly difficult. I liked that they made their own rules. I liked that they cheated. It all read like a 'If they can do it...I can do it' sort of how-to book.
psyckers's review against another edition
5.0
An inspiring book that challenges you to think differently to where your next meal comes from.
Why is most of the produce in the supermarket come from other countries?
It's an intriguing read about the authors journey to finding these answers and learn what is around them.
So inspired by this book, we took the challenge of the 100 mile diet and found that we can do this easily in New Zealand, if you look what is around you. Though I still miss coffee.
Why is most of the produce in the supermarket come from other countries?
It's an intriguing read about the authors journey to finding these answers and learn what is around them.
So inspired by this book, we took the challenge of the 100 mile diet and found that we can do this easily in New Zealand, if you look what is around you. Though I still miss coffee.
wrentheblurry's review
The February selection for my Food for Thought Book Club. I got to page 20-something before giving it up. Too many details, it didn't grab me, the alternating points of view didn't help things for me either. Not rating it since I didn't read much of it.
thukpa's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. It was interesting, readable, didn't make you feel like a looser for not trying hard enough (although the lengths they went/what they came up with to eat were quite heroic at times.) It was inspiring, if not practical to attempt with as many mouths to feed as I've got, gives a person a lot to think about and any small steps toward complete 100-mile dieting are worth taking. Makes me feel very proud every time I walk out my door and pick veggies fresh off the garden plants to go straight into dinner, like, even if some of our family's food comes from 2000 miles away, some other foods are from 100 feet away. Balance....
amibunk's review against another edition
3.0
This book is similar (in topic) to Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." While I enjoyed Kingsolver's book more (she is a great writer and chronicles fascinating gardening and raising livestock stories), I did like "Plenty." The authors of "Plenty" presented a more practical and urban approach to eating locally.
I did find much to think about while reading this book, though at times the extreme opinions and ecological philosophies of the authors rubbed me a little wrong. I have a feeling more books discussing eating locally are going to find their way into my hands.
I did find much to think about while reading this book, though at times the extreme opinions and ecological philosophies of the authors rubbed me a little wrong. I have a feeling more books discussing eating locally are going to find their way into my hands.
lavoiture's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. About what you'd expect, although I wanted to hear more about their actual diet than all the other boring crap.
mwtedeschi's review against another edition
2.0
You know when you meet a really cool guy, and then you meet his really annoying girlfriend who just brings everyone down? And you wonder, how did that happen? That's kind of what reading this book was like. Wish the dude would have just dumped the girlfriend and written the book by himself. Sometimes I was just so distracted by Alisa's constant complaining I forgot about the purpose of this book. That being said, I really enjoyed the parts that James wrote and loved hearing about local food in the PNW, both history and culture.