Near A Thousand Tables: A History Of Food (2003)

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This book is broadly organized into chapters that examine how the acquisition and preparation of food affects the organization of human society. The divisions are interesting: the evolution of cooking, the rise of herding and agriculture, food as an expression of religion, culture, or rank, the effect of cultivation and commerce on the environment, and lastly the rise of industrial food preparation. There are many interesting parts in this book, particularly historical facts and the discussions of class and culture.The author's strong intellectual biases, however, trump all other analysis of the historical record on which he draws. At one point he castigates contemporary humanity for assuming that early societies were lacking in any kind of sophistication or intellectual curiosity. In the next chapter he dismisses all religious dietary restrictions as superstition, with no observable or rational basis in fact. Really? His litany of ancient food-related beliefs is amusing, and is one that can be continued right to the present day (fat is okay, fat is very bad, no wait, fat is okay again), but he doesn't go that far in the discussion, because it would undercut his criticism of earlier beliefs. Overall the book is a rambling (and I do mean rambling, full of digressions and trips down rabbit trails) meditation on food and human society, interesting in parts, but too inconsistent and intellectually lazy to be wholly useful.
—Catherine

I read this book back in 2003. Here is what I wrote in my journal at the time: >>Finished reading Fernandez-Armesto's Near a Thousand Table. This history of food is a book to be savored; it is not fast paced, but it is a book with interesting content. The book is arranged on the basis of major revolutions in food history, but then we get to see how these revolutions affected human history. Some of these revolutions include the concept of cooking, the idea of eating as having ritualistic significance, and the idea of food consumption as a social marker (the concept of haute cuisine falls into this). A particularly interesting idea for me was the author's link between cannibals and vegans. Cannibals in ancient and primitive cultures would consume their slain enemies in order to gain their strength or bravery. Vegans eat vegetables in order to improve their health, and it can also have a spiritual angle. The common idea is that both consume food in order to improve their bodies and spirits. Also interesting to read were the narratives of food travels from one continent to another, and how this shaped history. Overall, this would be a book I would strong recommend. A similar title would be Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. < —Angel

My one nitpick about it is that the words are very small. What is supposed to "only" be a 224 page book took me forever to read. Anyway, while the material can be a little dry at times the author does a good job in keeping it interesting. It is fun to read about how people used to eat in the olden days and how we as westerners, for the most part, have completely abandoned any sort of healthy or balanced diet. I recommend it to anyone that has an interest in seeing history through the lens of food, but it isn't leisurely reading to say the least.
—James Alvino