alirudel's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
mjanssen's review against another edition
5.0
I read Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible and, though I liked it, I felt a little irritated at what seemed to me her too-obvious behind-the-scenes machinating. I like my authors of fiction to be so self-effacing as to be almost invisible. But her bubbly personality didn't bother me at all in Animal, Vegetable. In fact, I totally enjoyed her company, as well as her ability to explain complicated global food-supply issues with clarity and a light touch. An enjoyable travelogue, essential guide to eating in America, and, with its store of recipes and advocacy tips, an indispensable resource. Everyone should read it!
themartinmama's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this book so much when I first read it years ago but now years later it is much more preachy and judgemental than I remembered and less about gardening than privilege of time, property, location, and money. I am all for growing what you can and making small changes but know their opportunities were nothing like most.
bookalina0987's review against another edition
5.0
9-7-07 A third of the way in. I swear one day I will grow asparagus in my yard...that is when I have a yard, and lots of assistance from Shaun I'm sure...
9-22-07 Made the Zuchinni Choco Chip cookies on Pg194. They are awesome and a big hit at a dinner party playing "guess the secret ingredient"...new favorite recipe. Due back to the library in 3 days, gotta wrap this one up quick!
I really enjoyed this book, it definitely makes you think about where the food we eat comes from and why we have such an obesity problem in the US. I am in no position to start a farm or even a garden, but I've hit the farmer's market 4 times in the 2 weeks I've been reading this book and started consciously looking for a "local" stamp on items at Whole Foods when possible. Don't think I'll ever give up bananas totally, but at least will look for local fruit that is in-season first.
9-22-07 Made the Zuchinni Choco Chip cookies on Pg194. They are awesome and a big hit at a dinner party playing "guess the secret ingredient"...new favorite recipe. Due back to the library in 3 days, gotta wrap this one up quick!
I really enjoyed this book, it definitely makes you think about where the food we eat comes from and why we have such an obesity problem in the US. I am in no position to start a farm or even a garden, but I've hit the farmer's market 4 times in the 2 weeks I've been reading this book and started consciously looking for a "local" stamp on items at Whole Foods when possible. Don't think I'll ever give up bananas totally, but at least will look for local fruit that is in-season first.
elisabeth1st's review against another edition
4.0
Everyone loves B Kingsolver. Here's an opportunity to love her whole family! They decide to live for one full year eating only locally grown food and foods from which they know the source. Everyone participates with shopping, recipes, short stories, and great suggestions. It is a true commitment to sustainablility and buying local. With all the beauty that Barbara brings with her writing.
alixgb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Ver comprehensive look at the systems are food choices support (or don't). Written almost 20 years ago, some of the sidebars about obesity feel dated, but the rest was fascinating.
rjvrtiska's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to this book in January, in Sweden, so I appreciate her absolution of mid-Winter readers, as well as her recognition of the tempation to import food varieties when she visited Montréal.
Moving to Sweden has forced me to lose some of the headway we made in healthy, local eating in the US, and gain some protections from EU food regulations.
There will never be a Swedish conterpart to this book. The traditional locavore Swedish diet invented surströmming (canned fermented herring) and caused mass starvation and migration in the mid 1800s-see Minnesota for proof of the residual effects. However, now that I’m better able to read labels and ask questions, I need to do more to buy things like local grain and root vegetables. Swedish animal rights laws, EU food regulations, and Scott’s hunting keep us well-stocked with good local meat and animal products.
Audio Note: As much as I love listening to a US Southern accent, I eventually sped up the reading speed to 1.25, and reduced the listening time by 2 hours. Apologies to all my friends from South of the Mason-Dixon.
Moving to Sweden has forced me to lose some of the headway we made in healthy, local eating in the US, and gain some protections from EU food regulations.
There will never be a Swedish conterpart to this book. The traditional locavore Swedish diet invented surströmming (canned fermented herring) and caused mass starvation and migration in the mid 1800s-see Minnesota for proof of the residual effects. However, now that I’m better able to read labels and ask questions, I need to do more to buy things like local grain and root vegetables. Swedish animal rights laws, EU food regulations, and Scott’s hunting keep us well-stocked with good local meat and animal products.
Audio Note: As much as I love listening to a US Southern accent, I eventually sped up the reading speed to 1.25, and reduced the listening time by 2 hours. Apologies to all my friends from South of the Mason-Dixon.
sheilajoyful's review against another edition
4.0
A friend recommended this book to me, and I liked it better than the last recommend I got. Barbara writes with grace and gratitude about the glory of good food, and the joy we get to enjoy with our cuisine when we've seen this tableful small, sprouting or peeping, near us.
She makes me happy all over again to have our own several gardens and fruit trees (no matter that we don't get them sprayed in time and they rarely produce useable fruit) and jars of home-canned ketchup and salsa in my cellar. I know what a Brussels sprout looks in stalk (weird, that's how).
Warning: The book does require some Significant Inner Resistance to read. You have to talk to yourself the whole way through it: "It was okay that you ate that Reeses' Cup without making sure it didn’t come from Taiwan. You’ll plant more garden this year and that’s a good thing. But baby steps, dear, baby steps. You can do this. Read one more page. It’s just her story. Oh isn’t it sweet that she likes asparagus? You have asparagus in your garden too—be happy together. Actually, tomatoes in January don’t kill you and can be pretty good on the burger you grilled during that last warm spell. Ooh, look, she's taking the guts out of the chicken! Well, you would too if you had the chance; I bet she never made a whole quilt start to finish like you did. This world needs all stripes, this isn't a competition. Keep reading…"
She makes me happy all over again to have our own several gardens and fruit trees (no matter that we don't get them sprayed in time and they rarely produce useable fruit) and jars of home-canned ketchup and salsa in my cellar. I know what a Brussels sprout looks in stalk (weird, that's how).
Warning: The book does require some Significant Inner Resistance to read. You have to talk to yourself the whole way through it: "It was okay that you ate that Reeses' Cup without making sure it didn’t come from Taiwan. You’ll plant more garden this year and that’s a good thing. But baby steps, dear, baby steps. You can do this. Read one more page. It’s just her story. Oh isn’t it sweet that she likes asparagus? You have asparagus in your garden too—be happy together. Actually, tomatoes in January don’t kill you and can be pretty good on the burger you grilled during that last warm spell. Ooh, look, she's taking the guts out of the chicken! Well, you would too if you had the chance; I bet she never made a whole quilt start to finish like you did. This world needs all stripes, this isn't a competition. Keep reading…"
hoperu's review against another edition
4.0
I learned that I want to make my own cheese, and grow my own food. Seriously, this book has helped to crystallize my already present desires to do more to eat local and homegrown. Kingsolver's fictional style does not appeal to me much, but this book did. I enjoyed the humorous anecdotes and fairly down to earth views of all three authors.