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roboxa's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted on Roberta's Literary Ramblings
One of the reasons I ended up reading this book was that there was a blurb by Rush Limbaugh on the back that says, "Every time I find evidence of a massive forthcoming event to take away...our freedom...I am going to warn you about it...And so now we have a book by...Tracie McMillan...What is it with all of these young single white women, overeducated - doesn't mean intelligent." How could I not read this book? Good job marketing team.
As to the book itself, it was alright. There was a lot of interesting information and research, and I did like that we got to get a more inside look into these areas of food production and distribution, however, I feel that the combination of research and personal undercover experience didn't mesh well a lot of the time. There were many times when the personal narrative would be broken by a large chunk of facts and statistics that I feel would have been better received and impactful if they were woven into the narrative.
While I felt it was admirable that she attempted to truly live with the same restrictions of income as those she was working with, there were times when I feel that she failed to take into account her privilege. This was mostly evident when she was working (more attempting to work) as a farm hand. She was often times incredibly lucky when it came to housing since she had friends she could fall back on and a bank account that she could access when in desperate need. Therefore, there were times when she concluded that she could splurge on something since she had that back-up. This wouldn't normally bother me, but she tried to play these sections off as if she were really living like those whose lives depend on these jobs when she really wasn't. Don't claim that you truly put yourself in this situation when you're actually willing to reach outside of it when in trouble. That's not how these people's lives work, and if you're going to say that you lived like the poor of this country do, then you better do it. Don't use your sister's annoyance with you for not being able to afford to bake cookies for a party as an excuse to dip into your actually ample savings. I believe the only real time she brought into account her privileges was when she would reflect on the fact that she could leave at anytime and be fine but those she worked with could not since they depended on this work to feed themselves and their families. Granted, there were a couple times when she actually used this privilege and just left a job (i.e. ending her stint with Walmart).
While I appreciate what McMillan was trying to do with this book, I thought that her undercover work was sub par, and she didn't do a great job on combining the research with narrative. However, the research was really great, and I learned a lot from these sections. Maybe if she had kept to writing down the research this book would have had a higher rating. In conclusion: Informative but could have been better.
One of the reasons I ended up reading this book was that there was a blurb by Rush Limbaugh on the back that says, "Every time I find evidence of a massive forthcoming event to take away...our freedom...I am going to warn you about it...And so now we have a book by...Tracie McMillan...What is it with all of these young single white women, overeducated - doesn't mean intelligent." How could I not read this book? Good job marketing team.
As to the book itself, it was alright. There was a lot of interesting information and research, and I did like that we got to get a more inside look into these areas of food production and distribution, however, I feel that the combination of research and personal undercover experience didn't mesh well a lot of the time. There were many times when the personal narrative would be broken by a large chunk of facts and statistics that I feel would have been better received and impactful if they were woven into the narrative.
While I felt it was admirable that she attempted to truly live with the same restrictions of income as those she was working with, there were times when I feel that she failed to take into account her privilege. This was mostly evident when she was working (more attempting to work) as a farm hand. She was often times incredibly lucky when it came to housing since she had friends she could fall back on and a bank account that she could access when in desperate need. Therefore, there were times when she concluded that she could splurge on something since she had that back-up. This wouldn't normally bother me, but she tried to play these sections off as if she were really living like those whose lives depend on these jobs when she really wasn't. Don't claim that you truly put yourself in this situation when you're actually willing to reach outside of it when in trouble. That's not how these people's lives work, and if you're going to say that you lived like the poor of this country do, then you better do it. Don't use your sister's annoyance with you for not being able to afford to bake cookies for a party as an excuse to dip into your actually ample savings. I believe the only real time she brought into account her privileges was when she would reflect on the fact that she could leave at anytime and be fine but those she worked with could not since they depended on this work to feed themselves and their families. Granted, there were a couple times when she actually used this privilege and just left a job (i.e. ending her stint with Walmart).
While I appreciate what McMillan was trying to do with this book, I thought that her undercover work was sub par, and she didn't do a great job on combining the research with narrative. However, the research was really great, and I learned a lot from these sections. Maybe if she had kept to writing down the research this book would have had a higher rating. In conclusion: Informative but could have been better.
alexisrt's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think this book is groundbreaking. It gives a lot of information that's available elsewhere and packages it together with a personal narrative. That, however, may make it more useful and accessible. The three part structure works well and helps highlight different phases of now we eat.
There are a lot of comparisons to Nickel and Dimed, a book that people often love or hate. While I can see the comparison, it's not the same book. There's more focus to her decisions; she's not really pretending that she can show you what it's like to be an immigrant farm worker by doing the job. If anything she's all too conscious of how she's different. Going out and working in the fields is a little bit of a gimmick, but it throws you into it more than just an interview. I think it would have been a less interesting and effective book if she had not gone and reported firsthand.
Overall, I liked this and felt that she did a good job of illustrating the problems with our food system without being overly preachy or elitist in the Mark Bittman "if you have time to watch TV, you have time to cook" mold, or pretending that buying those $9 tomatoes and being a locavore is the solution. This is a systemic problem that is much more complicated than where your tomatoes are grown and whether the fertilizer was organic. Who picks the food at your farmers' market? Do you know? I don't. It's about labor law, immigration, land use policy, corporate structure, logistics, and much more.
There are a lot of comparisons to Nickel and Dimed, a book that people often love or hate. While I can see the comparison, it's not the same book. There's more focus to her decisions; she's not really pretending that she can show you what it's like to be an immigrant farm worker by doing the job. If anything she's all too conscious of how she's different. Going out and working in the fields is a little bit of a gimmick, but it throws you into it more than just an interview. I think it would have been a less interesting and effective book if she had not gone and reported firsthand.
Overall, I liked this and felt that she did a good job of illustrating the problems with our food system without being overly preachy or elitist in the Mark Bittman "if you have time to watch TV, you have time to cook" mold, or pretending that buying those $9 tomatoes and being a locavore is the solution. This is a systemic problem that is much more complicated than where your tomatoes are grown and whether the fertilizer was organic. Who picks the food at your farmers' market? Do you know? I don't. It's about labor law, immigration, land use policy, corporate structure, logistics, and much more.
niniane's review against another edition
4.25
The author first picked fruit and arlic in a field with laborers without work visas. The laborers wished they could make minimum wage but they're actually paid below $3 per hour. The company circumvented laws by converting it into hourly wage but untruthfully reducing the number of hours that they worked from 9 to 3.
The other laborers were so nice to her. She taught them English. It helped that she could understand Spanish and speak a little. They fed her food, gave her rides, and took her to sell prepared meals to other laborers.
Her slowness caused the entire group to make less money. Some were frustrated, but the foremen was really nice to her. The foreman was a woman who wanted to learn English.
The author had to live in a trailer because she was making so little money.
Then she went to work in the produce section of Walmart. They did so many things circumventing compliance to save money, such as letting a bird stay in the store touching fruit. They let fruit rot. They sold the oldest fruit first.
The author went to expedite at Applebee's and cook a few shifts. All the food was prepared elsewhere and shipped in mass to her restaurant. They didn't cook any fresh food. She said a decent cook could make all those meals almost as quickly at home if you count the driving time, but people often just didn't know what meals to make. Applebee's served the same role as Hamburger Helper in providing structure of what to make.
It bothered me that the author accepted all kinds of charity from people who are making much less money than she normally makes as an author. She decided to live off these wages during the experiment, and the other workers didn't know that. The laborers gave her all sorts of picked fruit so she could claim it as hers, fed her free meals, etc. I know she was doing this experiment and wanted to stick to it, but it pained me to here that she freely partook of their generosity.
This was eye-opening in terms of making me want to grow my own fruits instead of being part of this exploitative chain that also lets the food rot.
The other laborers were so nice to her. She taught them English. It helped that she could understand Spanish and speak a little. They fed her food, gave her rides, and took her to sell prepared meals to other laborers.
Her slowness caused the entire group to make less money. Some were frustrated, but the foremen was really nice to her. The foreman was a woman who wanted to learn English.
The author had to live in a trailer because she was making so little money.
Then she went to work in the produce section of Walmart. They did so many things circumventing compliance to save money, such as letting a bird stay in the store touching fruit. They let fruit rot. They sold the oldest fruit first.
The author went to expedite at Applebee's and cook a few shifts. All the food was prepared elsewhere and shipped in mass to her restaurant. They didn't cook any fresh food. She said a decent cook could make all those meals almost as quickly at home if you count the driving time, but people often just didn't know what meals to make. Applebee's served the same role as Hamburger Helper in providing structure of what to make.
It bothered me that the author accepted all kinds of charity from people who are making much less money than she normally makes as an author. She decided to live off these wages during the experiment, and the other workers didn't know that. The laborers gave her all sorts of picked fruit so she could claim it as hers, fed her free meals, etc. I know she was doing this experiment and wanted to stick to it, but it pained me to here that she freely partook of their generosity.
This was eye-opening in terms of making me want to grow my own fruits instead of being part of this exploitative chain that also lets the food rot.
sunshine608's review against another edition
I really enjoy reading foodie type books. I love Marion Nestle and Michael Pollan and the like that I even have a label for these type of books. Upon seeing this, I was immediately intrigued but after finishing it I'm left wondering what I was supposed to get out of this.
This book is like Nickle and Dimed meets Michael Pollan or Marion Nestle. A journalist goes undercover to follow the produce chain. She starts by working in the fields of California picking garlic,grapes and other American produce staples. She then "follows" the produce to Walmart's in Michigan where she goes undercover to the Walmart world. The book ends with her undercover at Applebees in NYC.
I'm not sure there was anything that was groundbreaking for me. The weakest part of the book for me was Applebees which I just couldn't get into as much as the other two section. I wondered why she choose Apple bees in NYC instead of in staying in Michigan or Middle America. I did enjoy her statements in that section of how Applebes and most causal dining restraints like are pretty much just fancy, marked up Hamburger Helper.
I found the Walmart portion the most interesting and sometimes I lost site that this was supposed to be about produce. The Walmart culture could have been a book in itself. I struggled at times keeping it all together because sometimes it felt like parts didn't flow together seamlessly.
Overall, this provides a very brief overview. It might be good for those newly interested on the subject of American Food Culture mainly because it pretty straight forward in depicting some staples of America- Walmart and Applebes. There was some interesting points and I learned a lot about Walmart's culture and just how many of the farm workers that help feed us are taken advantage of. Very eye opening on those aspects, the rest just reinforced the sad state of American food culture. Regardless, Its a struggle and I'm glad that Ms McMillian portrayed what its like to have to choose between healthy food and food that fits a certain lifestyles ( i.e. based on budget or time concern).
This book is like Nickle and Dimed meets Michael Pollan or Marion Nestle. A journalist goes undercover to follow the produce chain. She starts by working in the fields of California picking garlic,grapes and other American produce staples. She then "follows" the produce to Walmart's in Michigan where she goes undercover to the Walmart world. The book ends with her undercover at Applebees in NYC.
I'm not sure there was anything that was groundbreaking for me. The weakest part of the book for me was Applebees which I just couldn't get into as much as the other two section. I wondered why she choose Apple bees in NYC instead of in staying in Michigan or Middle America. I did enjoy her statements in that section of how Applebes and most causal dining restraints like are pretty much just fancy, marked up Hamburger Helper.
I found the Walmart portion the most interesting and sometimes I lost site that this was supposed to be about produce. The Walmart culture could have been a book in itself. I struggled at times keeping it all together because sometimes it felt like parts didn't flow together seamlessly.
Overall, this provides a very brief overview. It might be good for those newly interested on the subject of American Food Culture mainly because it pretty straight forward in depicting some staples of America- Walmart and Applebes. There was some interesting points and I learned a lot about Walmart's culture and just how many of the farm workers that help feed us are taken advantage of. Very eye opening on those aspects, the rest just reinforced the sad state of American food culture. Regardless, Its a struggle and I'm glad that Ms McMillian portrayed what its like to have to choose between healthy food and food that fits a certain lifestyles ( i.e. based on budget or time concern).
hedgefundhogmanager's review against another edition
5.0
Highly enjoyable. About enjoying good food: "The demand is there, but the right to exercise it is not." Excellent phrasing that drives home the point that we are all as human as each other. This quote is applicable to several aspects of inequality, not only food access and affordability.
meghan111's review against another edition
4.0
This book clearly stated a couple facts that I "knew" to be true but hadn't ever articulated in my own head. The most striking was a response to the argument that the French spend a greater proportion of their income on food because they just appreciate it so much more than (bovine, tasteless) mainstream Americans. McMillan addresses this squarely by explaining how French people also have to spend much less than Americans for their health care, child care, and other government benefits, and when you look at the whole package, Americans cut their food budget by a percentage equal to their additional spending on health insurance and child care. Anyway, it's not really because of a lack of education or appreciation for the taste of expensive heirloom
vegetables, etc., but because of the struggle to get by, the need to work long hours to keep treading water, the lack of options. This book's main argument is that class matters, and that food is a precious shared resource which in America has been left to the vagaries of capitalism, leaving gaps in distribution of fresh foods,
and migrant farm workers who earn in the low five figures for a year's work of punishing physical labor.
Striking thing #2: McMcillan straight up acknowledges that it takes skill to be a farmworker, to stock shelves at Wal-Mart, and to work in the kitchen at Applebee's. You have to be able to prioritize, use logic, multitask, and implement an efficient system to do a good job. In many towns and cities, the vast majority of fresh produce is bought at a Walmart, duh. And the person in charge of the fresh produce at Walmart - the produce manager - might be someone who doesn't have experience or affordable health care or much of a paycheck. This person, with little support, might be in charge of overseeing the quality of produce for an entire town, and "produce managers aren't necessarily given any better training to manage a town's fresh food supply than they are to stock sneakers." (p. 234)
This is great because the author isn't just a blogger with a book deal, but rather someone who's done serious research into food justice, backed up with a ton of end notes and citations. This is great because the author keeps reminding us that class matters, in America, right now.
vegetables, etc., but because of the struggle to get by, the need to work long hours to keep treading water, the lack of options. This book's main argument is that class matters, and that food is a precious shared resource which in America has been left to the vagaries of capitalism, leaving gaps in distribution of fresh foods,
and migrant farm workers who earn in the low five figures for a year's work of punishing physical labor.
Striking thing #2: McMcillan straight up acknowledges that it takes skill to be a farmworker, to stock shelves at Wal-Mart, and to work in the kitchen at Applebee's. You have to be able to prioritize, use logic, multitask, and implement an efficient system to do a good job. In many towns and cities, the vast majority of fresh produce is bought at a Walmart, duh. And the person in charge of the fresh produce at Walmart - the produce manager - might be someone who doesn't have experience or affordable health care or much of a paycheck. This person, with little support, might be in charge of overseeing the quality of produce for an entire town, and "produce managers aren't necessarily given any better training to manage a town's fresh food supply than they are to stock sneakers." (p. 234)
This is great because the author isn't just a blogger with a book deal, but rather someone who's done serious research into food justice, backed up with a ton of end notes and citations. This is great because the author keeps reminding us that class matters, in America, right now.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book because I like to suggest some non-fiction when my book group picks books. As I read this I decided it was not what the group would usually be looking for. It is different from other food books we have read, but not that different. We have read Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and The Dirty Life by Kristen Kimball. Both of those books were from more of a producer's viewpoint.
McMillan is looking at America's food from a eater's point of view, in my opinion. She is looking to see why a nation that produces so much good food, does not manage to get that food to all of our citizens. The movement for better food; ideas like Comunity Sustained Agriculture (CSA) and farmer's markets have not made a big difference for inner-city families.
Although I found McMillan's experiences fascinating, I am not sure I see any solutions to the problem she is concerned about. I am not sure she felt she found any solutions either. We have the food, we have amazing processing and transportation systems in place, but I don't see any way to make the systems work differently. If we want all people to have the ability to eat healthy meals all the time, we will have to make changes to much more that our food systems.
One of McMillan's concerns is food deserts - places in this country where getting fresh food is almost impossible. While I was reading this book, I mentioned food deserts to my hairdresser. This was an entirely new idea to her. I believe this is the kind of person who should be reading this book. Tracie McMillan, I think, is writing for people who have not thought about food very much. For those readers, she is telling a new tale and I think they would see their grocery stores in a whole new light.
McMillan is looking at America's food from a eater's point of view, in my opinion. She is looking to see why a nation that produces so much good food, does not manage to get that food to all of our citizens. The movement for better food; ideas like Comunity Sustained Agriculture (CSA) and farmer's markets have not made a big difference for inner-city families.
Although I found McMillan's experiences fascinating, I am not sure I see any solutions to the problem she is concerned about. I am not sure she felt she found any solutions either. We have the food, we have amazing processing and transportation systems in place, but I don't see any way to make the systems work differently. If we want all people to have the ability to eat healthy meals all the time, we will have to make changes to much more that our food systems.
One of McMillan's concerns is food deserts - places in this country where getting fresh food is almost impossible. While I was reading this book, I mentioned food deserts to my hairdresser. This was an entirely new idea to her. I believe this is the kind of person who should be reading this book. Tracie McMillan, I think, is writing for people who have not thought about food very much. For those readers, she is telling a new tale and I think they would see their grocery stores in a whole new light.
spauffwrites's review against another edition
3.0
An illuminating picture of the food system in America, sort of along the same lines as Fast Food Nation, etc. Pretty interesting if you've never read anything like that before. The chapters on her work in Wal-Mart were particularly interesting and will make you think twice before shopping there.