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Most Helpful Customer Reviews 92 of 100 people found the following
review helpful:
5.0 out of 5
stars There's
a reason it's widely recommended...,
By
Keith Smith (Austin, TX) - See
all my reviews This review is from: Cod: A Biography of the
Fish that Changed the World (Paperback) If you're one of the
many people who's been caught up in the wave of highly focused historical
books that have innundated our book stores, then this book is for you.
Kurlansky presents the history of one of the most mundane items possible
(excepting the humble potato and there's a book on that too) with an
engaging and informative style. The book presents as a mix of history,
current events, and recipes.
It misfired at times. There is not discussion (or recommendation) regarding management of resources or planning for the future of our fisheries. And some absolute statements (such as the superiour development of Basque cod cuisine) deserve to be challenged. And Kurlansky doesn't consider the fishing history of Native Americans; although, it may be for lack of documentation (I don't know; I'm not a historian; that's why I read these things). In spite of this, it's an outstanding book. It meets the two key requirements for me in this regard; one, I recommend it to other people who report back on how much they liked it; and two, I'll read it again. Buy it. Read it. You'll probably enjoy it. 62 of 68 people found the following
review helpful:
5.0 out of 5
stars Fishy
Recipe for History and Evolution,
By
"cloudia" (Seattle, WA United States)
- See
all my reviews This review is from: Cod: A Biography of the
Fish that Changed the World (Paperback) There's a cartoon in
Matt Groening, the nine types of professors. One is the single-minded
type, as in "The country that controls magnesium controls the world!" His
main drawback is that he could be right. Cod sort of reminds me of that.
You may not have known how important or popular this particular fish was
to most of our ancestors in Western civilization, but, according
Kurlansky, Cod was practically like bread. It was easy to fish, there was
a ton of it, and once Europeans learned the various ways of drying it
(with cold and/or salt) all people could think about was trading this
staple. Yes, Kurlansky's book is single-minded, and at times you might
forget this is a fish tale. When the Vikings found America, what where
they looking for? And how did they manage to sustain themselves through
the long ocean voyage? The answers are of course, cod. Kurlansky also has
a few outlandish things to say about another favorite topic of his, the
Basque, who it appears had been regularly fishing for Cod in Newfoundland
long before Columbus found America. They were really good at keeping a
secret, you see. Fortunately, there's a serious, or, at least more
socially acceptable side, to Kurlansky's fish story. The fishing trade
really is threatened. You can no longer practically walk on Atlantic cod.
Even Icelanders who found their entire economy changing from one of
sustenance to a first world service economy, during the two world wars,
have a difficult time protecting their dwindling stock. If Aldous Huxley's
grandfather, Thomas, asserted in the 19th century that cod would never
become extinct, it was only because he could not imagine the rapid
technological changes which would turn fishing into harvesting, and the
classic practice of drying fish into freezing it, on board the fishing
boats themselves. Good bye bacalao, hello fishsticks. It's a sad tale as
ways of life dwindle and change, and even the very essentials of human
existence that have lasted for thousands of years go unheard of by the
post-industrial society. But are we really evolving into something better?
Kurlansky peppers his narrative with quotes from notables throughout the
ages and interesting, if often archaic, recipes.
27 of 27 people found the following
review helpful:
5.0 out of 5
stars In Cod
We Trust!,
By
Steph (philly) - See
all my reviews This review is from: Cod: A Biography of the
Fish that Changed the World (Paperback) The marvel of Cod: A
Biography of the Fish that Changed the World is that anyone could write a
book this interesting about a subject so lackluster- a fish so boring that
it does not even struggle when it is caught, instead allowing the
fisherman to haul it up without a fight. Somehow Mark Kurlansky was able
to make the codfish interesting enough that I continually drive my
co-workers insane, insisting that they should read this book. Wars have
been fought over it, revolutions have been spurred by it, national diets
have been founded on it, economies and livelihoods have depended on it.
The lowly cod really is the fish that changed the world. This book is a
sober reminder of the impact of man on the environment, but it also a
enjoyable and readable book filled with curious cod tidbits and a
historical cross-section of odd cod recipes. In the same vein as The
Perfect Storm or Longitude, this book is more entertaining than either of
those maritime titles, although unlikely to be made into a movie starring
George Clooney. If seeing the title Cod: A Biography of the Fish that
Changed the World made you crack a smile, then you should read this book
and tell your friends about it, so that they too can wonder if you're just
making it up.
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