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A review by jdsatori
The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky
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?