Ten Tomatoes that Changed the World: A History
by William Alexander 
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New York Times bestselling author William Alexander takes readers on the surprisingly twisty journey of the beloved tomato in this fascinating and erudite microhistory.The tomato gets no respect. Never has. Lost in the dustbin of history for centuries, accused of being vile and poisonous, subjected to being picked hard-green and gassed, even used as a projectile, the poor tomato has become the avatar for our disaffection with industrial foods — while becoming the most popular vegetable in show more America (and, in fact, the world). Each summer, tomato festivals crop up across the country; the Heinz ketchup bottle, instantly recognizable, has earned a spot in the Smithsonian; and now the tomato is redefining the very nature of farming, moving from fields into climate-controlled mega-greenhouses the size of New England villages.
Supported by meticulous research and told in a lively, accessible voice, Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World seamlessly weaves travel, history, humor, and a little adventure (and misadventure) to follow the tomato's trail through history. A fascinating story complete with heroes, con artists, conquistadors, and—no surprise—the Mafia, this book is a mouth-watering, informative, and entertaining guide to the food that has captured our hearts for generations. show less
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As a tomato addict, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I currently have 30 tomato plants in my garden, with 18 different varieties. It's going to be quite the year of experimentation!
Alexander offers an in-depth look into everything tomato related. In the first half, the book explores the history and culture of the tomato. The second half dives into the science of tomatoes. The breeding, the growing, and environmental factors.
It's a great companion piece to the author's earlier book, "The $64 Tomato". Together they have pushed my interest (aka: obsession) to new levels.
I will be keeping this book handy for future reviews, especially during the off-season when I can only dream about growing more tomatoes!
Highly recommend to any gardener show more who loves tomatoes! show less
Alexander offers an in-depth look into everything tomato related. In the first half, the book explores the history and culture of the tomato. The second half dives into the science of tomatoes. The breeding, the growing, and environmental factors.
It's a great companion piece to the author's earlier book, "The $64 Tomato". Together they have pushed my interest (aka: obsession) to new levels.
I will be keeping this book handy for future reviews, especially during the off-season when I can only dream about growing more tomatoes!
Highly recommend to any gardener show more who loves tomatoes! show less
Fascinating book about tomatoes themselves, ketchup, pizza, farming and hybridization/genetics, to name a few subjects. Subtle humor throughout the book. The audio book was really well done.
Informative and entertaining, what more could I want? I guess a better title, we didn't exactly go through ten varieties as much as important moments. (Or, alternatively, I wasn't reading that closely.) Anyway it was nice to add some more tidbits to my tomato chat.
Read 3.2024
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4+ Works 1,438 Members
William Alexander is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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- Members
- 150
- Popularity
- 217,359
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.98)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 4
