The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy

By far the best economics book that I have ever read. Granted, I'm no economist and haven't read many economics books that weren't required for college. Unlike other books, this is not chock full of dull theories, equations and graphs. It does a great job at explaining the history and economics of sushi, especially the global tuna industry. While it focuses on tuna, it would serve as a good macro-economics text as it shows how various things such as technology, weather, globalization, environmental restrictions, government, currency fluctuations, etc. impact an industry over time.

One suspects that this book is now a little dated in the wake of the economic crash of 2008 and the increasing concern about sustainable seafood. On the other hand, as a portrait of an economic system designed to spread risk and involving a group of players who even almost ten years ago knew that they were involved in a risky game, perhaps this book has held up better then one might have thought. It's a topic that could probably stand to be revisited which is why I don't rate it a little higher.

I like books about the restaurant business and I'm interested in the sea and the history of commerce and commodities, and I like sushi, so that's why I grabbed the book off the library's new book shelves. I finished it in two days because it's pretty well written.

It takes you on a meandering tour of the sushi world, focusing on bluefin tuna, from the point of view of restauranteurs, auction houses, fishmongers, tuna ranchers (I certainly didn't know there was any such thing) and more. Each chapter introduces a specific person and describes what that person does in the global market.

I will keep the little Seafood Watch card in my wallet (which says I should avoid bluefin tuna anyway - which is fine because apparently it never comes show more near my local sushi joints, nor could I afford it if it did). But I will never imagine again that I can know where any fish came from. show less

Great in parts but very inconsistent in that so many chapters are bland and dull. But the first part about this history of sushi and Nobu are excellent.