An Edible History of Humanity

Author: Tom Standage. More than simply sustenance, food historically has been a kind of technology, changing the course of human progress by helping to build empires, promote industrialization, and decide the outcomes of wars. Standage draws on archaelogy, anthropology, and economics to reveal how food has helped shape and transform societies around the word, from the emergence of farming in China by 7500 B.C. to the use of sugar cane and corn to make ethanol today. This is a fully satisfying account of human history. Softcover.