Review by Choice Review
According to noted food historian Levenstein (emer., McMaster Univ., Canada), the foundation of people's fear of food stems from a concept known as the "omnivore's dilemma." Essentially, unlike some animals that continually exist on the same type of food, humans eat a large variety of foods--some healthy and some not. People's doubts about the healthiness of their choices fuel the anxiety, which has increased markedly since most people have left the farm and consequently relinquished control of food to industrialized food manufacturers. Levenstein deftly narrates the story of various phobias humans have developed following the mass production of food. These include fear of germs, fat, sugar, and cholesterol, along with adulteration through chemical additives and lack of vitamins due to overprocessing. The author maintains that food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, aided and abetted by famous nutritionists and government agencies, have capitalized on these fears, primarily for commercial interests. In the end, after many decades of advances in nutritional science, it is difficult not to conclude after reading this history that snake oil salesmen still control people's image of food. Readers interested in the fear of food adulteration would benefit from Bee Wilson's Swindled (CH, Apr'09, 46-4407). Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. D. M. Gilbert Maine Maritime Academy
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Levenstein (history, emeritus, McMaster Univ., Ontario; Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America; Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American Diet) here continues his mission to document trends in American eating habits. He clarifies many bizarre beliefs surrounding our food supply-fears circulated not only by pundits but also by the government and scientific and medical experts. Smoothly written and meticulously documented, the chapters address concerns-both reality- and myth-based-about food handlers and unsanitary conditions poisoning foodstuff. Levenstein discusses historical recommendations to drink pasteurized milk; eat yogurt to detoxify the digestive tract; consume plenty of untainted, government-inspected beef; avoid chemically enhanced, processed food; and eat "natural" foods to avoid dietary fats and heart disease. He covers the American Heart Association's battle against high blood cholesterol as a contributing factor to heart disease, the Surgeon General's decree that smoking causes cancer, and how multiple agencies urged Americans to recognize how these killer diseases increase with lower socioeconomic status. VERDICT The text and footnotes indicate that Levenstein has likely reinterpreted material from his two well-reviewed books on the history of food. Still, this critical evaluation of the myths and truths surrounding America's fear of food is a welcome addition.-Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
