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hrjones's review against another edition
2.0
This is very much an academic study of the meaning and uses of "cuisine" as a phenomenon, specifically using the example France from the later 18th century to modern times. There's a great deal of interesting information tucked away in it, but the theory-heavy writing style makes it less accessible that it might be (and a bit tedious to read). Some of the useful/interesting observations cover things like the increasing democratization of culinary literature, the shift in the focus of haute cuisine from private upper class spectacles to a more public "restaurant culture" participated in by a wider variety of classes, and the perpetuation of a stereotype of female "cooks" and male "chefs".
eclectictales's review against another edition
4.0
I obtained a copy of this book from the publishers a few months ago during a promotion. This review in its entirety was originally posted at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2014/06/16/review-accounting-for-taste/
The focus is especially interesting, that of cuisine and its reflection on national identity, culture, and sense of history. In a more general sense, it focuses on food in a social context: who we are, how we associate ourselves with our cuisines.
As the title indicates, this book focuses on French cuisine, but a lot of the analysis I think can be applied to other cultures as well. Something that struck me as I was reading this book was how eating was seen as an intellectual activity as well, which is something I would have never considered; I wish I had saved the page where the narrative was talking about this in particular, it was rather fascinating. The author uses a variety of sources to discuss the development and impact of French cuisine over the last few centuries, from primary sources of pamphlets and newspapers and other sources from the time to French literature, in which foods come up quite frequently (something I never realised when I was reading some of the classics last year). By the last chapter, the narrative turns to the present and the current challenges that French society faces in terms of their cuisine and the advent of globalisation.
I honestly wish I had more time to read this novel more carefully and analyse it in an academic sense. But suffice to say, Accounting for Taste is a well-researched book and overall a fascinating read. Readers of French history, books about cuisine, and books about national identity and society will want to check out this title.
The focus is especially interesting, that of cuisine and its reflection on national identity, culture, and sense of history. In a more general sense, it focuses on food in a social context: who we are, how we associate ourselves with our cuisines.
As the title indicates, this book focuses on French cuisine, but a lot of the analysis I think can be applied to other cultures as well. Something that struck me as I was reading this book was how eating was seen as an intellectual activity as well, which is something I would have never considered; I wish I had saved the page where the narrative was talking about this in particular, it was rather fascinating. The author uses a variety of sources to discuss the development and impact of French cuisine over the last few centuries, from primary sources of pamphlets and newspapers and other sources from the time to French literature, in which foods come up quite frequently (something I never realised when I was reading some of the classics last year). By the last chapter, the narrative turns to the present and the current challenges that French society faces in terms of their cuisine and the advent of globalisation.
I honestly wish I had more time to read this novel more carefully and analyse it in an academic sense. But suffice to say, Accounting for Taste is a well-researched book and overall a fascinating read. Readers of French history, books about cuisine, and books about national identity and society will want to check out this title.
lnkc's review against another edition
3.0
An academic work, it was a little dry at times, especially the beginning
atsundarsingh's review
4.0
Ferguson is literary in her descriptions of the changing circumstances that solidified French cuisine into the object of national pride. Though I wish she had given more attention to the historical context, her investigation of the importance of food's social role was thorough and interesting. I honestly enjoyed reading this, even though I was obliged to do so for research.
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