The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World

Name: The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World
Price: 23.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780865475786

✍️ Zuckerman, Larry

Reader Score

4.4

(1 review)

$23.99

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📜

Food Writing & History

📚 EDITORIAL REVIEW

“This book suits curious home cooks and food history enthusiasts who enjoy a deep dive into culinary roots without needing active kitchen time. Readers wanting quick weeknight dinner formulas or modern step-by-step recipes will be disappointed by this narrative social history.

— Editorial Team

Author

Zuckerman, Larry

📚 all books by this author →

🏛 North Point Press 📅 1999 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780865475786

📝 Description: The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World

Originally published: Boston: Faber and Faber, c1998.

💎 Expert review

“

🍳

Eatbook Family editorial team

Cookbook desk

It is poorly suited for home cooks seeking a traditional recipe collection, baking advice, or step-by-step culinary guidance. It is strictly an analytical food-writing title intended for historical study. Readers who appreciate historical narrative and single-ingredient studies will find value in its thematic scope, though those expecting standard culinary instruction should look elsewhere on our shelves.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —

⭐ eatbookfamily.com editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

This book suits curious home cooks and food history enthusiasts who enjoy a deep dive into culinary roots without needing active kitchen time. Readers wanting quick weeknight dinner formulas or modern step-by-step recipes will be disappointed by this narrative social history.

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Eatbook Family editorial team

It is poorly suited for home cooks seeking a traditional recipe collection, baking advice, or step-by-step culinary guidance. It is strictly an analytical food-writing title intended for historical study. Readers who appreciate historical narrative and single-ingredient studies will find value in its thematic scope, though those expecting standard culinary instruction should look elsewhere on our shelves.

❓ Frequently asked questions

This is a work of food history and cultural narrative rather than a traditional recipe book, so it contains no measurement systems or cooking ratios.

No, you will not find step-by-step cooking instructions, ingredient lists, or color photography inside, as it focuses entirely on the historical record and societal impact of the ingredient.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

This engaging microhistory explores the profound cultural and economic impact of the potato across Western Europe and North America from the late eighteenth century through World War I. It charts how a misunderstood root vegetable transformed daily existence, serving as vital sustenance and shaping agriculture in regions like Ireland, France, and Britain.