Book Review: 1493 by Charles C. Mann

1493
Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
by Charles C. Mann

Last year I read (and reviewed) Charles C. Mann's 1491.  When I found out that he'd published a sequel of sorts I rushed to buy it.  I enjoyed it and tried to not rush through the reading of it so that it would last longer.  I just finished it up recently and decided that it deserved a review of its own.

Presenting the latest research by biologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians, Mann shows how the post-Columbian network of ecological and economic exchange fostered the rise of Europe, devastated imperial China, convulsed Africa, and for two centuries made Mexico City—where Asia, Europe, and the new frontier of the Americas dynamically interacted—the center of the world. In this history, Mann uncovers the germ of today’s fiercest political disputes, from immigration to trade policy to culture wars. In 1493, Mann has again given readers an eye-opening scientific interpretation of our past, unequaled in its authority and fascination.
--from Charles C. Mann author website

We all know the world changed after Columbus voyaged in 1492, but I don't think we always realized exactly what happened.  In this book Charles Mann sets out to explore the world that was created as a result of the Colombian Exchange.  Both hemispheres were inexorably altered in many different ways.  One of the most fascinating things I learned was the extent to which Africans outnumbered Europeans in many areas of the New World.  I knew that many hundreds of thousands of slaves had been brought over the Atlantic, and knew that in some areas like the American South or Brazil they outnumbered Europeans, but I didn't realize how this was true in many other areas.  It was fascinating to learn about all of the independent colonies founded by escaped slaves throughout both continents.

I also knew that tomatoes and potatoes were New World crops that made huge inroads elsewhere via the Irish Potato Famine or can you imagine Italian cooking without tomato sauce?  However, I didn't realize the extent to which crops and trade impacted places like China and may have impacted the rise and fall of several dynasties.

Overall Mann does a great job explaining the many, many changes the world has seen in the past slightly over five centuries and the great mixing that has occurred.  He also brings out many things you may not have thought about--like the impact of the potato on Chinese imperial history.  Or in discussions of invasive species why are food crops never mentioned?  If you garden in North America the chances are that virtually none of the crops you plant were domesticated within thousands of miles of where you are located.  Throughout the book the text flows very well and is quite engaging.  I had to stop myself from finishing it too quickly several times as I wanted to savor the read.  If you enjoy history I encourage you to check out the book.  You may not agree with all conclusions, but it is well worth your time to read through and you'll likely end up learning something new.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: An examination of the global changes wrought by the mingling of the eastern and western hemispheres after 1492.
Technical: 535 pages, hardcover with dust jacket.  Includes black and white photographs, drawings, and map throughout the text.  Two appendices, end notes, works cited, and index included.

~Matt

Book Review: Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori

Around the World in 80 Trees
by Jonathan Drori
Illustrations by Lucille Clerc

A botanical journey filled with science, history, and wonder.
--from the back cover

I spotted this book while browsing in the Cincinnati Joseph-Beth bookstore last December.  I was immediately drawn to it due to Lucille Clerc's gorgeous cover illustration and started flipping through it.  I immediately knew that I wanted to buy it, but realized that I should wait until I had a discount to employ that would take a bit off the price, so I wanted until a few days into January before I bought it.

In Around the World in 80 Trees, expert Jonathan Drori uses plant science to illuminate how trees play a role in every part of human life, from the romantic to the regrettable. Stops on the trip include the lime trees of Berlin’s Unter den Linden boulevard, which intoxicate amorous Germans and hungry bees alike, the swankiest streets in nineteenth-century London, which were paved with Australian eucalyptus wood, and the redwood forests of California, where the secret to the trees’ soaring heights can be found in the properties of the tiniest drops of water.
--from publisher Laurence King's website

I started reading the book as soon as I got home after purchasing it, but I made sure to take my time.  Think of the book as 80 separate vignettes.  Each tree is covered in a different entry, separated geographically.  It starts in Europe, progresses through Africa and Asia, and then across the Pacific to the Americas where it ends in North America.  Some trees are covered in their land of origin while others are covered in places where they have been transplanted and are now popular.  Each tree has 1-2 pages of text and illustrations, so don't expect a connected narrative.  You can read the book from cover to cover starting at the beginning as I did, or you can browse through and just read sections in any order you desire without loosing anything.  I took about two months to finish the book because I didn't want to get through it too quickly.

In this two-page spread on the Paper Mulberry you can see what some of the smaller sections look like.  The text is always at least this long and covers the current distribution of the tree and what it is used for.  The gorgeous illustrations usually show some of the full tree as well as various elements like flowers, fruit, and leaves.

Some sections are longer such as this two-page text spread on the cork trees of Portugal.

The two pages of text are accompanied by a two-page spread of illustrations.

Page after page of simply beautiful illustrations make this book a joy to peruse.  I look forward to using it with the kids when they are older and we need to learn about different trees.  Obviously it isn't an exhaustive exploration of all trees, but it does a good job of covering its selection.

Detail from Chinese lacquer tree illustration.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: A gorgeously illustrated ode to 80 different trees from around the world, covering the distribution, usage, and history of each species included.
Technical: Hardcover with dust jacket, 240 pages.  Includes index and selected bibliography.  No end notes.

~Matt

Book Review: Eating Việt Nam by Graham Holliday

Eating Việt Nam
Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table
by Graham Holliday

I picked up this book a couple of years ago while browsing a local dollar store.  I don't remember exactly what caught my eye, but I decided it would be worth reading after the first couple pages grabbed my interest.

The volume sat on my shelf for a while, but I started reading at some point and then put it down.  A few weeks ago I decided to continue on to the end.  I mention this not to insinuate that the book is boring, but this is how I read--I'm usually in the middle of a decent number of books at a time and only the very best get devoured quickly with no interruptions.  Other volumes are ones that I go back and forth between.

This book tells a very compelling story.  The author spent time in Vietnam in the employ of the British government and then as a journalist.  He also met his wife their and their son was born in the country, so it is very much a part of his life.  While in the country he decided to try many different foods and even ended up starting the very first street food blog.  Each chapter tells the story of a different dish, including the interesting ingredients in some of them as well as the unusual places where he encountered the food.

I really enjoyed the writing, but personally I don't think I would enjoy many of the foods he described.  While some do sound quite strange to the standard American palate others are just not quite my cup of tea, being defined by a large number of herbs and vegetables.  However, even if you don't think you'll find yourself eating the dishes I think you'll find the stories he tells interesting to experience.

The book starts out describing Graham's time in the northern city of Hanoi (or Hà Nội) and then moves to his time in the south in the city known as Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon (or Sài Gòn).  While Graham says he was never conversant in Vietnamese he peppers his book with as many local words and spellings as he can, so I'll admit I had to guess at many pronunciations.  Though I grew up with many Vietnamese classmates and friends I sadly didn't pick up very much of the language.

You'll also find a few pieces of artwork sprinkled throughout the book that were drawn by the author.

Note: there are several passages that include curse words, so take note if you want to utterly avoid those.  Also many different parts of animals not commonly eaten are described (eating various offal, a uterus, drinking blood, etc...) so if you have a weak stomach this may not be something you'll enjoy.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary: A travelogue/food exploration through many street vendors and back alleys of Vietnam in pursuit of new and unusual culinary dishes.

Technical: 337 pages, less than a dozen illustrations.  Hardcover with dust jacket.

~Matt