Customer Reviews
How come I didn't notice all the smugness? - By: emma who reads a lot, 10 Sep 2008 
A few other reviews have drawn attention to Barbara Kingsolver's "smugness", including one person who liked the book but doesn't want her round for dinner.
I'm usually really sensitive to people being a bit too pleased with themselves, but I didn't think this book was like that at all. I thought it was touchingly hilarious about the weeks that they ended up just bottling tomatoes for days on end. And I loved all the information about intensive farming, agribusiness seed companies, & terminator genes - like a good articlein the Sunday paper.
Most of all I found the book really inspiring. It made me pay attention to where my food came from, much more than I already did. I have always tried to eat seasonally & avoided food imports, but I found myself really being intrigued by her model, where you stuff your face with a couple of foodstuffs until you are heartily sick of them, by which time something else is coming into season. It's just such a different way of doing things. I don't know if it'll ever totally catch (back?) on, but my god, she makes a persuasive case.
Mixed Feelings - By: Helena, 18 Jul 2008 
There are many good thingsin this book, the author urging a more seasonal & local approach to food being the main theme. I can see how inspirational this book can be.
However the stumbling block for me was the superior approach the authors took to anyone who did not fitin with what they believed. For instance, the daughter wrote a piece about people who did not eat meat being unable to get proper & complete nutrients. This is nonsense, & what was written sounded like someone else speaking, some one else telling her that being an omnivore was the only right way. It felt almost religiousin away - I am right & if you disagree you are wrong.
There were also instancesin the book where the main author took snide little digs at anyone who was concerned with animal welfare, making quite clear her opinion that anyone who was thus concerned was over emotional & didn't "understand" the realities.
Ms Kingsolver's smug & superior attitude put me off a book that had been recommended to me by so many people & I was disappointed because I had a real desire to be inspired. A little respect on her part for those who choose a different way of reaching the same goal wouldn't have gone amiss.
FAB BUT BUY THE HARDBACK ! - By: I read lots, 15 Apr 2008 Excellent, informative book - very good at explaining scientific backgounds to issues. (Kingsolver & husband are both scientists.) Not what I was expecting. I probably expected jolly year-in-the-life-of, & that is there, but also so much more. As an example, regarding knowing what veg arein season & when - other books provide plenty of lists, but this explainsin a way that makes you understand. Very well written, laugh aloud funnyin parts, I just wish I'd bought the hardback because I know I will want to keep it to refer to again, or lend to friends, but also because I found the paperback needed constant pressure to keep it open, especially when reading the inside of the left- hand page. Annoying! For a few extra pounds get the handback - it's worth it.
Yes and No - By: Flame Academy, 14 Feb 2008 
There's little doubt that this book is soakedin fascinating information & powerful ideas, but I couldn't help thinking that Mrs Kingsolver et famille all sound a tad smug - I don't think I could bear to have them round to dinner at mine...
Choose Food to Enhance Life - By: Donald Mitchell, 03 Jan 2008 If you read only one book about foodin 2008, I suggest you make it this one.
Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, Steven Hopp, & her daughter, Camille, present selecting, growing, producing, harvesting, storing, preparing, sharing, & eating food as a way to enhance their own lives & those of others. It's a life-affirming approach that I found quite intriguing.
Let me give you a few examples. Ms. Kingsolver decided it would be interesting to breed turkeys as well as raise them. Now, this isn't done very often. Turkeys don't have the necessary equipment & habits to be very good at mating & raising their young so most growers use artificial insemination & incubators. The result is a fascinating story of discovery about turkeys & herself.
Her family also decided to almost totally limit themselves to the food they could produce or purchase as locally grown (within about 250 miles) for a year. So you don't eat strawberriesin January with that approach unless you freeze some from the summer, have a greenhouse, or livein southern California. This family livesin Virginia so the options are heavily constricted by the limited growing season. As a result, you'll find lots of recipesin the book to use the seasonal bounties of foods that are easy to growin quantity like zucchini & tomatoes.
The book is also informative about food & how it is produced. I realized that I knew many of these things because my dad grew up on a farm & my mom on a ranch. They also grew a lot of our food when we were growing up. But I'm sure my children have no idea about these things. Ms. Kingsolver does a great service by transmitting this increasingly scarce & important information to another generation.
My own consciousness about food was raised when I realized that I've been ignoring many wonderful local food choices to supplement my tiny garden. Next spring, I plan to do things much differently.
More significantly, this book makes the challenges of the small organic farmer clearer to me. I see that I need to buy more local organic food to help make this offering available & to help those who want to do that kind of work.
For those who are concerned about food quality & environmental sustainability, this book contains much valuable information & advice.
The book's style is very accessible. There are sidebars written by Professor Hopp & Ms. Camille Kingsolver that give the book a nice change of pace. There are also lots of interesting recipes. Ms. Barbara Kingsolver also uses a narrative style that allows for lots of anecdotes & extended stories. Her pleasant novelist's touch gives the book a warmth & glow that you don't findin many books about food.
I was very sorry when the book ended. I could have kept on reading for another five years. Perhaps they will write an update at some point. I hope so!
