noahtato's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
borrowedbooks's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
The beginning of the book started much earlier than I thought it would, with pre-Dutch settlement, and I really liked that because it was one of my favorite sections. It's an interesting listen over all, but if you've read anything about humanity's interactions with a natural resource you know the outcome. This book does span a breadth of ethnic and socio-economic groups which is its strength.
i_likedbooksbest's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
jdsatori's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5 stars, actually.) I loved Salt and this book satisfied me much the same way. It's a big-picture look at the history of NYC, told through the lens of the rise and fall of the oyster trade. I love books that make me look at the ground beneath my feet in a whole new way, and this one made me long for the days when NYC was an unspoiled natural wonder.
I've been canoeing on the Gowanus Canal before (long story), and to think that it was once the crystal clear home to abundant oyster beds, striped bass and even sharks is just amazing. How great would it be if we could restore these waterways? Granted, we couldn't eat anything that lived there (too many metals and PCBs are in the riverbed), but at least wildlife would return ... and that smell would go away.
Anyway, in honor of this book, I plan to go have some raw half shells (non-local, sadly) and a beer. Who's with me?
I've been canoeing on the Gowanus Canal before (long story), and to think that it was once the crystal clear home to abundant oyster beds, striped bass and even sharks is just amazing. How great would it be if we could restore these waterways? Granted, we couldn't eat anything that lived there (too many metals and PCBs are in the riverbed), but at least wildlife would return ... and that smell would go away.
Anyway, in honor of this book, I plan to go have some raw half shells (non-local, sadly) and a beer. Who's with me?
tifosichris's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
readers_block's review against another edition
4.0
3.75/5
This is essentially the history of NYC as told through the journey/history of the oyster. It's got a ton of things I love: Manhattan history, lexicography, stories about food and recipes to tie it all together. The author has a fun, wry sense of humor that ties it all together. He manages to pack the history of the entire world into one tiny animal. To view the world through Kurlansky's lens is to view the minute with a sense of wonder and awe, and I deeply appreciate that.
This is essentially the history of NYC as told through the journey/history of the oyster. It's got a ton of things I love: Manhattan history, lexicography, stories about food and recipes to tie it all together. The author has a fun, wry sense of humor that ties it all together. He manages to pack the history of the entire world into one tiny animal. To view the world through Kurlansky's lens is to view the minute with a sense of wonder and awe, and I deeply appreciate that.