Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and CultureWhy are human food habits so diverse? Why do Americans recoil at the thought of dog meat? Jews and Moslems, pork? Hindus, beef? Why do Asians abhor milk? In Good to Eat, bestselling author Marvin Harris leads readers on an informative detective adventure to solve the world's major food puzzles. He explains the diversity of the world's gastronomic customs, demonstrating that what appear at first glance to be irrational food tastes turn out really to have been shaped by practical, or economic, or political necessity. In addition, his smart and spirited treatment sheds wisdom on such topics as why there has been an explosion in fast food, why history indicates that it's "bad" to eat people but "good" to kill them, and why children universally reject spinach. Good to Eat is more than an intellectual adventure in food for thought. It is a highly readable, scientifically accurate, and fascinating work that demystifies the causes of myriad human cultural differences. |
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Page 53
... plows , which were needed in turn to penetrate the hard- packed soils found throughout much of northern India . In fact , it was the use of ox - drawn plows to break the plains bordering the Ganges River that started the whole cycle of ...
... plows , which were needed in turn to penetrate the hard- packed soils found throughout much of northern India . In fact , it was the use of ox - drawn plows to break the plains bordering the Ganges River that started the whole cycle of ...
Page 65
... plows in the arid northwestern regions of India . But the specifications for the ideal Indian plow animal call for a creature that also thrives during wet weather . Camels quickly become a sodden mass during the monsoon rains that fall ...
... plows in the arid northwestern regions of India . But the specifications for the ideal Indian plow animal call for a creature that also thrives during wet weather . Camels quickly become a sodden mass during the monsoon rains that fall ...
Page 99
... plow horse . All across northern Europe , wealthy farmers were learning how to exploit the heavier , more powerful breeds which had been developed to carry armor - plated knights into battle . Hitched to new , heavy , iron - wheeled plows ...
... plow horse . All across northern Europe , wealthy farmers were learning how to exploit the heavier , more powerful breeds which had been developed to carry armor - plated knights into battle . Hitched to new , heavy , iron - wheeled plows ...
Contents
ONE Good to Think or Good to Eat? | 13 |
TWO Meat Hunger | 19 |
THREE The Riddle of the Sacred Cow | 47 |
Copyright | |
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American amount animal foods Aztecs became become beef better body calcium calories camel cannibalism carried cattle CHAPTER consume consumption contain continued cooked costs cultures dead developed diet dingoes disease dogs domesticated drinking eaten efficient enemy entirely Europe European example explanation fact farmers feed fish flesh four give goats grain groups hamburgers Hindu horsemeat horses human hunting important increase Indians insects killing kind lack lactose lactose intolerance land less levels live means meat milk natural never nutritional percent pets plant population pork pounds practice preference Press prevent prisoners problem protection protein raising reason relatives remains result rickets sheep skin slaughter societies species supply taboo things United University vegetables village vitamin warfare women York