{"product_id":"cooked-a-natural-history-of-transformation","title":"Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation","description":"\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Pollan\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of seven previous books, including \u003ci\u003eCooked\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFood Rules\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eIn Defense of Food\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Omnivore's Dilemma\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Botany of Desire\u003c\/i\u003e, all of which were \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestsellers. He's also the author of the audiobook \u003ci\u003eCaffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World\u003c\/i\u003e. A longtime contributor to the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Magazine, he also teaches writing at Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley. In 2010, \u003ci\u003eTIME\u003c\/i\u003e magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] rare, ranging breed of narrative that manages to do all . . . It's nothing short of important, possibly life-altering, reading for every living, breathing human being . . . In Pollan's dexterous hands, we get the science, the history, the inspiration, ultimately the recipe. What feels like all of it. It doesn't hurt that he also happens to be very funny.\" -- \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\"Because of the power of his prose and his reasoning, \u003ci\u003eCooked \u003c\/i\u003emay prove to be just as influential as Pollan's seminal book, \u003ci\u003eThe Omnivore's Dilemma \u003c\/i\u003e. . . The results are fascinating, but the magic of \u003ci\u003eCooked\u003c\/i\u003e lies not in its ability to unlock the secrets of slow-roasting a whole hog or brewing beer . . . No, what Pollan pulls off is even more impressive: He manages to illuminate the wealth of connections that stem from our DIY time in the kitchen.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\"As in \u003ci\u003eThe Omnivore's Dilemma\u003c\/i\u003e, Pollan is never less than delightful, full of curiosity, insight, and good humor. This is a book to be read, savored, and smudged with spatterings of olive oil, wine, butter, and the sulfuric streaks of chopped onion.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eOutside\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\"The book's surplus of fascinating tidbits--about everything from barbecue (which Pollan connects to ritual animal sacrifice) to the mysterious workings of bread yeast--makes it a feast for intellectual omnivores.\" -- \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\"Through cooking, Pollan argues, we clear a space, allowing ourselves not only to consider our sometimes troubled bond with nature but to reestablish our ties to one another, and to become makers instead of consumers. \u003ci\u003eCooked \u003c\/i\u003eis a potently seductive invitation to discover--or rediscover--our most primal connection to the natural world.\" -- \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBookforum\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\"Spurred by a number of objectives--improving his family's general health, connecting with his teenage son, and learning how people can reduce their dependence on corporations, among others--Pollan ( \u003ci\u003eThe Omnivore's Dilemma; In Defense of Food\u003c\/i\u003e) came to the realization that he'd be able to accomplish all those goals and more if he spent more time in his kitchen. He began cooking. Divided into four chapters based on the four elements, Pollan eloquently explains how grilling with fire, braising (water), baking bread (air), and fermented foods (earth) have impacted our health and culture. . . . Engaging and enlightening reading.\" -- \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\" \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e best-selling author Pollan ( \u003ci\u003eThe Botany of Desire; The Omnivore's Dilemma\u003c\/i\u003e) delivers a thoughtful meditation on cooking that is both difficult to categorize and uniquely, inimitably his . . . Intensely focused yet wide ranging, beautifully written, thought provoking, and, yes, fun, Pollan's latest is not to be missed by those interested in how, why, or what we cook and eat.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\"Having described what's wrong with American food in his best-selling \u003ci\u003eThe Omnivore's Dilemma\u003c\/i\u003e (2006), \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e contributor Pollan delivers a more optimistic but equally fascinating account of how to do it right. . . . A delightful chronicle of the education of a cook who steps back frequently to extol the scientific and philosophical basis of this deeply satisfying human activity.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\"Pollan's newest treatise on how food reaches the world's tables delves into the history of how humankind turns raw ingredients into palatable and nutritious food. To bring some sense of order to this vast subject, he resurrects classical categories of fire, water, air, and earth . . . Four recipes accompany the text, and an extensive bibliography offers much deeper exploration. Pollan's peerless reputation as one of America's most compelling expositors of food and human sustainability will boost demand.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Pollan, the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Omnivore's Dilemma\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFood Rules, How to Change Your Mind\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThis is Your Mind on Plants\u003c\/i\u003e explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen in \u003ci\u003eCooked\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\"Having described what's wrong with American food in his best-selling \u003ci\u003eThe Omnivore's Dilemma\u003c\/i\u003e (2006), \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e contributor Pollan delivers a more optimistic but equally fascinating account of how to do it right. . . . A delightful chronicle of the education of a cook who steps back frequently to extol the scientific and philosophical basis of this deeply satisfying human activity.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eCooked\u003c\/i\u003e is now a Netflix docuseries based on the book that focuses on the four kinds of \"transformations\" that occur in cooking. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and starring Michael Pollan, \u003ci\u003eCooked\u003c\/i\u003e teases out the links between science, culture and the flavors we love.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nIn \u003ci\u003eCooked, \u003c\/i\u003ePollan discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements--fire, water, air, and earth--to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nEach section of \u003ci\u003eCooked \u003c\/i\u003etracks Pollan's effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements. A North Carolina barbecue pit master tutors him in the primal magic of fire; a Chez Panisse-trained cook schools him in the art of braising; a celebrated baker teaches him how air transforms grain and water into a fragrant loaf of bread; and finally, several mad-genius \"fermentos\" (a tribe that includes brewers, cheese makers, and all kinds of picklers) reveal how fungi and bacteria can perform the most amazing alchemies of all. The reader learns alongside Pollan, but the lessons move beyond the practical to become an investigation of how cooking involves us in a web of social and ecological relationships. Cooking, above all, connects us.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nThe effects of not cooking are similarly far reaching. Relying upon corporations to process our food means we consume large quantities of fat, sugar, and salt; disrupt an essential link to the natural world; and weaken our relationships with family and friends. In fact, \u003ci\u003eCooked\u003c\/i\u003e argues, taking back control of cooking may be the single most important step anyone can take to help make the American food system healthier and more sustainable. Reclaiming cooking as an act of enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/23\/2014 pg. 71 (EAN 9780143125334, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/25\/2014 pg. 28 (EAN 9780143125334, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/24\/2013 (EAN 9781611761436, Compact Disc)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 07\/01\/2013 pg. 46 (EAN 9781611761436, Compact Disc) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eAudio File\u003c\/span\u003e 08\/01\/2013 pg. 61 (EAN 9781611761436, Compact Disc) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eAudio File Best Nonf \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/span\u003e 12\/01\/2013 pg. 24 (EAN 9781611761436, Compact Disc)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 11\/15\/2012 pg. 58 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/01\/2013 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/01\/2013 pg. 11 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/15\/2013 pg. 122 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/25\/2013 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/28\/2013 pg. 18 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/03\/2013 pg. 68 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/07\/2013 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eChoice\u003c\/span\u003e 11\/01\/2013 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLJ Top 10 Book\u003c\/span\u003e 12\/01\/2013 pg. 27 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eWilson Nonfiction Catalog\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/11\/2019 (EAN 9781594204210, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Pollan, Michael\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Penguin Publishing Group\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePub Date:\u003c\/b\u003e 2014-04-29\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC:\u003c\/b\u003e Cooking|Essays \u0026amp; Narratives|Cooking|History|Cooking|Methods|General|Social Science|Agriculture \u0026amp; Food (see also Political Science|Public Policy - Agricultur|Social Science|Popular Culture\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSubjects:\u003c\/b\u003e Cooking|Cooks|Philosophy|Food habits|Social aspects|Food|Cookbooks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.82 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780143125334\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eASIN:\u003c\/b\u003e -\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSKU:\u003c\/b\u003e SP-9780143125334\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51154499567894,"sku":"SP-9780143125334","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780143125334_spiral_1.png?v=1776245154","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/cooked-a-natural-history-of-transformation","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}