Be Specific About Books Toward Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
| Original Title: | Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World |
| ISBN: | 0099268701 (ISBN13: 9780099268703) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) for Editor's Choice (1998) |
Mark Kurlansky
Paperback | Pages: 294 pages Rating: 3.91 | 18861 Users | 1369 Reviews
Relation In Favor Of Books Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
The Cod. Wars have been fought over it, revolutions have been triggered by it, national diets have been based on it, economies and livelihoods have depended on it. To the millions it has sustained, it has been a treasure more precious that gold. This book spans 1,000 years and four continents. From the Vikings to Clarence Birdseye, Mark Kurlansky introduces the explorers, merchants, writers, chefs and fisherman, whose lives have been interwoven with this prolific fish. He chronicles the cod wars of the 16th and 20th centuries. He blends in recipes and lore from the Middle Ages to the present. In a story that brings world history and human passions into captivating focus, he shows how the most profitable fish in history is today faced with extinction.
Present Containing Books Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
| Title | : | Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World |
| Author | : | Mark Kurlansky |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 294 pages |
| Published | : | May 6th 1999 by Vintage/Ebury (first published June 1st 1997) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. Food and Drink. Food. Science. Animals. Environment. Nature. Microhistory |
Rating Containing Books Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
Ratings: 3.91 From 18861 Users | 1369 ReviewsEvaluation Containing Books Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
I read this book after visiting Fort Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, N.S. and being impressed by stories of oceans of cod ("one could just reach in and pull out codfish"). I'd had no idea how important cod was for the island and for trade in general (I'd never really given it much thought at all). Kurlanksy offers a lively, historical and very entertaining "biography of the fish that changed the world." And with the advent of this book, the publishing industry has churned out schools, nay,A much more focused narrative than Salt, about Atlantic cod fisheries and the ways that inexpensive, salt-preserved fish changed diets and economies in Europe from the middle ages to the present. The central story of the book, though, is the way what was once regarded as a limitless resource has been fished to the edge of collapse, and the affect that has had on the communities that depend on it, and the difficulty of harnessing competing economic entities to work to restore the populations.
Cod begins with two quotes:1. Thomas Henry Huxley says that "the question of questions for mankind . . . is the ascertainment of the place which man occupies in nature and of his relations to the universe of things."I love that quote because humans, at least the "civilized" ones, think of themselves as somewhat separated from nature.2. Will and Ariel Durant in The Lessons of History say "the first biological lesson of history is that life is competition. . . . peaceful when food abounds, violent
I obtained the audio book through my library. I had seen good reviews of Kurlansky's Milk, but wasn't convinced that a book with the focal point could be well done. Since I could get Cod and wanted something light to listen to, I thought, "Why not?"I was pleasantly surprised. Kurlansky did a great job at explaining the history, biology, evolution, uses, and economy of the Cod and doing so in a cohesive manner that did not seem overly contrived. The book focuses largely on the Atlantic Cod, but
In 2001, I was on vacation with my wife in Sydney, Australia. I decided that I was entitled to buy a new book to read while travelling. We went into one of Sydney's best book stores, and after much thought, I chose this book. My wife looked at it and remarked, "You chose the most boring book in the store." After that, I read her all the interesting parts of the book until she was finally forced to admit that maybe it was not the most boring book in the store after all. That's faint praise, of
A fascinating review of the history of the Atlantic cod fisheries. While I knew of the stories of the Grand banks and Georges banks from my University days (I doubt there is a Marine Biologist in the world who has not studied this classic case of overfishing), I had never thought about the wider social implications of the collapse of this fishery and I certainly had never wondered too much about the sociological role of the animal. It turns out that Gadus morhua, the Atlantic cod was a major
While one would think a book entirely devoted to codfish would enervate, if not actually annoy, in fact this work is a fascinating examination of the human tendency to greed as played out on a global scale. This is easily equal in quality and complexity, to my mind, with a novel by Dostoevsky, for instance. It follows the trail of guilt and rapacity from early times to today's sad, inadequate harvest and is witty in to the bargain. A great read.
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