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Loading... Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (1997)by Mark Kurlansky (Author)
I really liked this book and learned some fascinating tidbits of information. It's been reviewed a bazillion times, since I am one of the last people to read it. Recommended! (  ) andrearules | May 13, 2013 |  I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Kurlansky has a clear and engaging style that imparts knowledge in an almost whimsical tone. That tone was a saving grace throughout the parts discussing the utter collapse of the cod fisheries. Very interesting historical data, and overall a compelling read. ( ) satyridae | Apr 5, 2013 | Cod--not a favorite food. Mind you, salt-cod (bacalao) was a staple in my Puerto Rican family, but Americanized that I am, for me it was a reason to flee the family apartment until the smell was gone. This book on the fish was... moderately interesting. I didn't feel it was compelling in its narrative--it felt like a long extended textbook inset. You know, you're reading an American history textbook and there's this box that tells you how important cotton was to Georgia or silver to Nevada? Well, it was that sort of thing... only about cod. With lots of recipes thrown in, both before each new chapter and 40 pages of cod cookery in the back. The writer in fact was a chef and a food writer for the New York Times--and notably not a historian. So we got dabs of natural and human history such as suggestions the Basques may have discovered the New World first (and kept quiet so as to have the Grand Banks fisheries all to themselves), learn cod "built Boston" and was crucial to the Atlantic slave trade and the dilemma of contemporary fisherman caused by overfishing: fishing enough to keep earning a living is fishing too much to sustain the wild fish population. At least according to Kurlansky circa 1997--and a search online will quickly let you know it's still an issue today in 2012. (  ) LisaMaria_C | Dec 3, 2012 | Apparently cod has a long an illustrious history I had absolutely no idea about. I'm not sure I've ever knowingly eaten cod, to be honest, but I guess it used to be a big thing. My favorite parts were the social and linguistic effects of this fish. The history and bizarre political maneuvers were pretty fun to learn about as well. The recipes, however, did nothing for me. Probably of more interest to foodies. ( ) melydia | Oct 26, 2012 | I've been meaning to read this books for years, and am glad that I finally got around to it. While being a very careful history of the codfish and the culture that grew up around it and was sustained by it, as well as an indictment of the abuse of fish stocks, the book also lays the groundwork for the possibility of recovery. When combined with a quick Google glance into current fish farming and conservation techniques, as well as the 2012 results in the Maine lobster fishery (who took their conservation cues from cod), there is hope to see the mighty cod once again on tables and in the sea. Really, though, it's an excellent book, although the plethora of menus and recipes means that it's unwise to read it on an empty stomach. (  ) themythicalcodfish | Sep 19, 2012 | no reviews | add a review Is abridged in
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