Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)

For starters, this is not BK's most well written book. However, I have traveled with her (metaphorically) by way of her novels, appearance on NOW as well as a journey of a family, so I found it to be delightful. I also purchased this book in the autumn of the year and read a bit from her Thanksgiving season to others at a meditation gathering. I was inspired by the book and the love that shines through it. So, if you are attuned to food as a spiritual path (She would never say that!), I whole heartedly recommend A,V,M. Also, in the stress of these economic times, it will cheer you on to self-sufficiency.

This book will change the way you look at food and shopping. I think it should be read by all that cook and shop since it brings to light the way our food is grown, prepared and shipped. It explores so many angles in the production of food and it is interesting! I now look for locally grown food whereever I shop, and try to buy organic when I can.

This is one of those books that has the power to change your life and make you look at the world in a new way.

Rather skeptical at first, I became deeply moved about halfway through "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." Barbara Kingsolver presents many compelling reasons to change the way we eat and to enhance our relationship with food -- not the least of which are infinitely better taste and nutrition. Other reasons are concern for the environment, struggling farmers, and people living in poverty the world over.

I wouldn't want to rely on my own skill and labor to produce the majority of my own food. Kingsolver shows the time, energy, perseverance, knowledge, and good luck needed to grow food for oneself. The result may be delicious, but easy it ain't.

Yet the author did succeed in altering my purchasing decisions. I've already started buying organic produce -- my first organic carrot was orgiastically delicious, making conventional carrots taste like little more than crunchy water in comparison. I've researched which fruits and vegetables grow in North Carolina, and when. I've found a farmer's market that's open year round so I can buy local products. I've made a few new recipes from scratch (and I'm no cook!). And I'm going to start a tiny garden in the spring -- only two or three vegetables, but just the thought of doing so makes me feel giddily self-reliant.

Vegetarians must be forewarned that the Kingsolvers are meat eaters and do raise their own animals for food. Yet I couldn't help but compare the lives of their farm animals to those in horrific factory farm conditions. (The story of a female turkey learning to be a mother was beautiful.) For people who eat meat, Kingsolver clearly shows an ethical option -- and that's to purchase flesh that comes from an animal who ate a natural diet and lived a healthy, happy life ... outdoors.

Vegetarians and omnivores alike will learn some important things from this book, and will likely make different food choices before they've finished reading.

This is a terrific book and so far has been a joy to read. It points out the shortcomings that as humans we have created, yet at the same time offers solutions that are so simple. Maybe if we packaged seeds and growing our own food with a remote control or some new techno gadget, people might get interested?

I really wanted to like this book. I agree with the author in that as a culture we've clearly gotten out of touch with living off the land and have become a fast food society. But I struggled to even get through the first chapter. The tone of the book is much too preachy and pretentious giving it a "holier than thou" feel. It's hard to get past that.