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34 reviews for:
Pressure Cooker: Why Home Cooking Won't Solve Our Problems and What We Can Do about It
Joslyn Brenton, Sinikka Elliott, Sarah Bowen
3.96 AVERAGE
34 reviews for:
Pressure Cooker: Why Home Cooking Won't Solve Our Problems and What We Can Do about It
Joslyn Brenton, Sinikka Elliott, Sarah Bowen
3.96 AVERAGE
Although the authors do a great job of recounting real stories, they do not treat other narrative that they believe in (aka fatphobia, sexism, etc) with the skepticism that they regard the discussions of home cooking. It makes for an inconsistent treatment of many of the problems facing the woman they profile.
I really liked the stories of the different families and how they illustrated the overall premise of this book: that most people want to eat healthy and be able to provide good meals for their families, but there are a lot of different obstacles besides just lack of willpower. I enjoyed that a lot of structural and systemic problems were highlighted. However, I do wish there had been more analysis in the conclusion about what things can be done to mitigate or solve some of these problems. The last chapter felt a little conclusory and there wasn't enough policy arguments or suggestions for me.
Also, minor quibble, but I really hated that the footnotes were endnotes. There were things I wanted to check out, but I didn't want to be constantly skipping between the appendix and the chapter I was on.
Also, minor quibble, but I really hated that the footnotes were endnotes. There were things I wanted to check out, but I didn't want to be constantly skipping between the appendix and the chapter I was on.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
(Why did this take me so long to finish!) Um, systemic problems won't be solved solely with individual will. Especially if you live in the US.
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
Such an important book. It was great to experience the lives of so many different families. The common sense policies recommended at the end basically made me want to cry. They're so obviously good for children, families, and our country as a whole, and yet so very far from ever being a reality here.
challenging
informative
fast-paced
Part of why this book had such an impact on me is because this study was completed in Raleigh, NC which is where I grew up. It was extremely hard for me to read about people in extreme poverty in my own backyard. My bias aside, however, this book is meticulously researched and strives hard to capture the true picture of how many types of women feed their families. I appreciate the diversity of subjects in race and economic status as well as the transparency in research methodology. This book is an example of how non-fiction should be written while also being thoughtful and sensitive.
A book that should be in discussions everywhere, but it hits squarely on the uncomfortable truths underlying the "back to home cooking family dinners" movement prescribed by white male celebrity foodies, chefs, farmers, and journalists. Regardless of income, the burden fell to women who are already beyond taxed physically, mentally, financially, and socially.
A ton of research went into this book; a fifth of it at the end is just citations. Each chapter follows a participating family from Raleigh, NC, and those stories destroy the idea that women are not doing enough to feed their families "properly." Instead of pinning the responsibility for our food, environmental, and societal ills on individuals to fix, we need to address the systemic problems for which these issues are only a symptom, not the cause.
A ton of research went into this book; a fifth of it at the end is just citations. Each chapter follows a participating family from Raleigh, NC, and those stories destroy the idea that women are not doing enough to feed their families "properly." Instead of pinning the responsibility for our food, environmental, and societal ills on individuals to fix, we need to address the systemic problems for which these issues are only a symptom, not the cause.