Reviews for Picnics perfectos

The average rating for Picnics perfectos based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-01-14 00:00:00 Marion Williams The blurb summarizes this book perfectly. Tom Standage can be relied upon to do comprehensive research for his non-fiction books. This book explains the history of mass-produced food, sedentism, the disappearance of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, the use of food as weapons, or forms of power, from the earliest records available throughout the world. The period spans from thousands of years before Christ until now. The establishment of civilizations occurred when humans reconfigured, or modified plants for cultivation and plants ultimately did the same to humans! The evolutionary process, changing from hunter-gatherer to agricultural sedentism, spanned over thousands of years. Complex societies in Mesopotamia took five millennia to develop, with those in the Americas and China taking thousands of years. As urban societies became more prominent, a diversity of jobs and professions resulted from it, which expanded the choices in lifestyle and social strata. It was all made possible by the farmers who remained on the land and producing more food than their subsistence lives required and could provide food to the masses living elsewhere. Quite why humans switched from hunting and gathering to farming is one of the oldest, most complex, and most important questions in human history. It is mysterious because the switch made people significantly worse off, from a nutritional perspective and in many other ways. Indeed, one anthropologist has described the adoption of farming as "the worst mistake in the history of the human race." Genetic manipulation took place ever since people got the idea to harvest seed and plant it, domesticating certain species and ensuring the livelihoods of human beings. An important point in the book is that everything we eat is genetically manipulated species of plants and animals - man-made technologies. The history behind it is not only important, but it also brings valuable balance to any conversation around genetics and the role of natural selection. Corn, cows, and chickens as we know them do not occur in nature, and they would not exist today without human intervention. Even orange carrots are man-made. Carrots were originally white and purple, and the sweeter orange variety was created by Dutch horticulturalists in the sixteenth century as a tribute to William I, Prince of Orange. An attempt by a British supermarket to reintroduce the traditional purple variety in 2002 failed, because shoppers preferred the selectively bred orange sort. Natural selection took place long before it became a Darwin theory. It also happens in nature, with insects pollinating different species with each other's genetic materials, resulting in new species occurring over a period of time. That may explain why domesticated plants and animals are so widely assumed to be natural, and why contemporary efforts to refine them further using modern genetic-engineering techniques attract such criticism and provoke such fear. Yet such genetic engineering is arguably just the latest twist in a field of technology that dates back more than ten thousand years. Herbicide-tolerant maize does not occur in nature, it is true'but nor does any other kind of maize. Most of the information contained in the text will probably be familiar to most of us. However, the comprehensive collection of information from all over the world, ensures a much greater understanding of the modern trends and importance of food production. Most importantly, the author shares his views on modern food production; the current challenges and dangers. Our biggest problem is high numbers in human populations and the limited natural resources to feed everyone. I love the author's work, and I love this kind of topic. It is impossible to really summarize this book, there's just too much to mention. All I can add is that it enhances our understanding of the world around us and how everything, from politics, religion, economy, and every other element defining our history and existence, is morphed into one comprehensive explanation with food as the underlying vein of life. Agriculture would surely not be allowed if it were invented today. And yet, for all its faults, it is the basis of civilization as we know it. Domesticated plants and animals form the very foundations of the modern world. An Edible History of Humanity is a perfect coffee table book. But it is also a great way of enjoying and stimulating interesting conversations around a dinner table. Uhummmm .... I've said that before already. Another of the author's books: A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. I still mean it though :-) The chapters are divided into topics such as: Part I: The Edible foundation of civilization - The invention of farming; the roots of modernity. Part II: Food and Social structure - Food Wealth and Structure; Follow the food. Part III: Global highways of food - Splinters of Paradise; Seeds of Empire. Part IV: Food, Energy and Industrialization - New world, new foods; The Steam Engine and the potato Part V: Food as a weapon - The fuel of war; Food fight. Part VI: Food Population and Develepment - Feeding the world; Paradoxes of plenty. Then, 288 pages later, the tale is told. Great references are provided in the bibliography at the back of the book. I did not read the book in one sitting. I left it next to my bed and indulged in the mornings when the first coffee was ready and there was an hour of blissful silence before the day started. It made the book so much more interesting for me to absorb the information slowly and think about it. Since there is no agenda behind the author's work, just the sharing of non-biased history, it allows the reader to relax and just enjoy it. Yes, I'm really enjoy these kind of books. Here's two others to consider for non-fiction reading friends: The Devil's Cup: A History of the World According To Coffee by Stewart Lee Allen; The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan

Review # 2 was written on 2016-11-17 00:00:00 Steven Arbiz As an avid book reader, I always hunger for the next great story, be it based on real events or fantastical fiction. Tom Standage presents this book to explain how food has helped shape and influence major events in history, using a number of great examples while keeping the reader entertained. He begins by taking things as far back as possible, with a focus on man's creation myths tied to corn or maize, which were essential parts of the early diet of those who roamed the earth. As Standage did in one of his other great books (A History of the World in 6 Glasses), he argues that the emergence of cereal grains helped to create a sedentary population and thereby developed a farming mentality. This permitted the emergence of cities and larger communities, which served to socialise people. Food has also helped create a sense of hierarchy in societies, which emerged early on in the hunter/gatherer collectives. Those in charge of finding food took on positions of power and control, which they exerted effectively. Leaders soon rose from the group, usually through natural character traits or physical stature. However, Standage argues that not all societies permitted this standout role, choosing modesty and a communal way of life. Food could also be seen as a currency, which exacerbated the view of power, as people traded and bartered with food, while taxes could also be placed on items that came from outside the local community. This leads to Standage's third area in which food helped shape world history, trade and travel. As exotic items came from the Far East, the Greeks and Romans marvelled at the different spices that came to be used in various forms. With the need to seek elsewhere, spice routes emerged and Europeans traveled far to seek them out. This permitted the discovery of new lands and peoples, which influenced how the world would progress. Standage explains how new ideas about food production also arose, as the Chinese, Indian, and Native American communities were studied, which influenced European ideas for how they might improve their own crops and cooking techniques. Much as the British Empire was solidified with the sale and exporting of tea, the Dutch took a position of power when it came to spices, using their colonial interests to procure and distribute various spices. With the arrival of some products from the New World, came new and interesting foods to the Old World, many of which were exotic and never dreamed up by Europeans. The emergence of pineapple in England not only denoted a posh new fruit for the locals to try, but also showed how Charles II held sway over his colonial lands. Standage explores the importance of these new foodstuffs and how they became central to the advancement of world history. Much time is spent discussing the great potato, which was seen as both something for the upper classes (as the French used them in glorious ways) and of the abject poor, who would live on them when nothing else could be grown. However, with all these new items came new issues, including rot and famine, which cost many people their lives and livelihood. Standage continues his detailed analysis by showing how food could also be used as a weapon, killing more than any traditional military tool. Napoleon's miscalculations when invading Russia in 1812 cost him greatly because French troops ran out of food and could not continue, forcing the 'little general' to retreat after trying to take Moscow for his own. Power also came in the form of communist collectives, where Stalin and Mao tried to use agricultural plans to support their respective countries, but things became dire and massive famines ensued. Standage explores this at length and leaves the reader in little doubt that suffering through lack of food proved to be more punishing than any musket or bullet. The last portion of the book looks to the green movement of food, its growth with the assistance of some outside forces. Nitrogen has been proven to be a much needed substance to spur along the growth and healthy development of crops. The controversies around fertilizer and modification outside of the 'normal' means is surely one that continued into the 21st century, but there is no easy answer. Many have tried to create bumper crops, but at what cost? Food may be the sustaining force that keeps humans alive, but does there come a time when too much tinkering makes our food worse for us, rather than better? This is highly thought provoking piece that kept me completely hooked until the very last page. I love learning so much and Tom Standage delivers in this literary ten course feast. Recommended to those who enjoy learning about the nonfood uses of food, as well as the reader with a passion for history of a different variety. I mentioned in a previous review of a Tom Standage piece how much looking at history and world events through unorthodox means makes me appreciate it even more. The author does a masterful job throughout, filling this book with information open to multiple interpretations on a subject few would likely have expected to be its foundation. While only offering a brief outline of his arguments above, I have tried to show how Standage uses an array of concrete examples to substantiate his hypotheses in each chapter. These twelve strong chapters explore the history of a food based theme and then discuss social, political, and economic impacts on world history. The writing is not overly academic, but there is also more than a superficial analysis of the topics at hand, requiring more than a passing interest in the topic to really extract all that Standage has to offer. I was pleased to have been so enthralled and to be able to push through as my mind tries to understand the topics Standage puts on offer. I will need a while to truly comprehend all that I read and how food has made such a difference. Kudos, Mr. Standage, for an amazing reading experience. I hope others will find your books and discover the magic you weave into every page! Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: