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From Publishers Weekly
The rise of commercial farming and processed foods has given shoppers a tremendous variety to choose from, but this convenience has also fostered a "covenant of ignorance" among consumers and manufacturers, historian Vileisis (Discovering the Unknown Landscape: A History of America's Wetlands) posits in this meticulous chronicle of the culinary disconnect. Persuasively arguing that manufacturers have prevented shoppers from knowing "unsavory details" about their foods and shielded producers from inquiry and public scrutiny, Vileisis highlights key events in this evolution. The booming populations of major cities, a reliance on servants or others to prepare meals and the ease and speed of rail transport were early contributors, she asserts, with the Industrial Revolution and two World Wars forever changing the way Americans bought and consumed food. Though the chapters covering developments since the 1970s feel rushed, Vileisis's well-researched treatise will give those interested in local and organic foods, food processing and American culinary culture plenty to chew on.
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Review
Publishers Weekly : "Vileisis's well-researched treatise will give those interested in local and organic foods, food processing and American culinary culture plenty to chew on." --Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly : Vileisis's well-researched treatise will give those interested in local and organic foods, food processing and American culinary culture plenty to chew on.." - Publishers Weekly

Library Journal : "Vileisis gathers it all in one place, weaving a clear, easy-to-read tapestry whose meaning is plain by the end of the book: you are what you eat, so think about what you''ve been eating. This important and eye-opening book uncovers the machinery behind the modern food industry."

Anna Lena Phillips American Scientist : "Kitchen Literacy brings home just how essential it is for eaters to cultivate knowledge of their food."

eatingwell.org : "Kitchen Literacy provides a cautionary tale of how we got so far off the eaten path in the first place."

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