The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World

I really enjoyed this one. I found so much to think about in here. Just look at this list of themes up there - and this is supposed to be about potatoes! But it was amazing how much the 'humble spud' effected.

The potato was viewed with some suspicion early on. In England, this latest a surprisingly long time. In France and Ireland, people eventually loved it as an easy substitute for growing grain, because it took less labor and would grow in poorer soil, as well as being easier for poor working people to prepare. But in England, it was looked down on and considered only good enough for peasants and livestock. In the US, colonials loved it - any food is good food - and it was grown and eaten everywhere. The book also includes a good but show more brief chapter about the potato famine in Ireland, its causes and effects, the government response, and its effect on migration.

Much more interesting that you might expect. My main complaint is that the 'western world' of the title was misleading. What about the potato in Germany, Spain, and Italy? What about Russia? These countries were scarcely mentioned, which was unfortunate. Still, 4 stars. show less

This is not the book I thought it was going to be. I imagined this book being centered on the potato and able to learn interesting tidbits about the potato. There was a little bit of this. But mostly, this book was about how England, Ireland, France, and United States viewed the potato. I did learn that the potato came from the Aztecs, which was new to me. However, the rest of the book was about the social implications of the potato especially with regard to poverty and lower classes. The most interesting was the chapters that made parallels to social issues that still exist today: the endless duties of women inside the home and who should give, how much, and what kind of assistance should be given to those living in poverty.

This one's about how the potato affected the poor and working classes of Ireland, England, France, and the US, up to the start of World War I. Everything from scientific theories of the day to changes in marriage customs gets talked about. I liked it.

The problem with reading food histories is getting hungry. Like, the chapter on French peasants. They lived on soup and bread. While the book was talking about how horrible the bread was and how weak the soups were, I was plotting a trip to the grocery for a crusty French loaf and the makings of a stew. Mentions of Irish tenant farmers boiling potatoes to serve with butter and salt had my mouth watering. Isn't that terrible? I should have been thinking about the plight of the poor and the show more rotten conditions they lived in, but all I could focus on was food... show less

A fascinating social history of the potato's impact on Great Britain, France, Ireland and the United States. I had no idea this ordinary vegetable ignited so much controversy! This book taught me many things about the way of life and the opinions of people back then, and it had a substantial bibliography for those inclined to read more.

Zuckerman manages to make potatoes (as well as land politics in Europe) an interesting, engaging topic.

Meh. The potato part of the book is pretty boring. The only part I found interesting is the descriptions of living conditions in Ireland, England and France during the described era.

Sad, well-written. Did I mention it is sad? Unremittingly sad? I attended an author's reading of this one. It's sad. Sad, sad, sad.