A world dominated by America and driven by cheap oil; easy credit; and conspicuous consumption is unraveling before our eyes. In this powerful; deeply humanistic book; Grace Lee Boggs; a legendary figure in the struggle for justice in America; shrewdly assesses the current crisis—political; economical; and environmental—and shows how to create the radical social change we need to confront new realities. A vibrant; inspirational force; Boggs has participated in all of the twentieth century’s major social movements—for civil rights; women’s rights; workers’ rights; and more. She draws from seven decades of activist experience; and a rigorous commitment to critical thinking; to redefine “revolution†for our times. From her home in Detroit; she reveals how hope and creativity are overcoming despair and decay within the most devastated urban communities. Her book is a manifesto for creating alternative modes of work; politics; and human interaction that will collectively constitute the next American Revolution.
#97557 in Books 2008-10-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x .70 x 5.50l; .75 #File Name: 0520257383296 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. An astonishing look at how American cooking came to be.By The Strife of Love in a DreamSometimes reviewers overuse words about books; but this one deserves all the best ones. It truly is deft; witty; sparkling; thought-provoking; and groundbreaking. I've reread it now several times and every time some new facet leaps out at me.American cooking is a unique beast--especially cooking from that era between 1850-1950 when food became possible to engineer; meaningfully study; and industrially process. As Americans struggled with putting into action the high and lofty ideals of their forebears; as our nation shuddered through a civil war; women themselves struggled between two differing aspirations: equality or carefully-outlined; carefully-sequestered; overly-sentimentalized; sickeningly-sweet and sanctimonious ultra-femininity. Housekeeping--specifically cooking--was seen as a way to elevate women and even society as a whole spiritually and morally; to assimilate a growing horde of immigrants into American culture; to civilize the poor; and to make women happier with their own inequality. As Ms. Shapiro points out time and again; that struggle resulted in the weird pseudo-empowering movement known as Domestic Science or Home Economics. The result is something that women even today have to fight against--the sequestering of women in "women's work" and "women's careers"; and the elevation of men as not only the recipient of all that work but also the ideal to emulate.Anybody who's ever wondered about Jell-O salads or what one food writer; Sylvia Lovegren; called "the constant drumbeat of marshmallows throughout a meal" featured in the worst American cooking; or why it is that Americans seem so content with horrible-tasting; adulterated convenience food laced with thousands of weird additives and preservatives; this book carefully and I'd even say painstakingly traces the evolution of American appetites from simple fireplace cooking to where it sat at the dawn of our awakening in the mid-1960s with Julia Child--and even beyond; because even that awakening is an outgrowth of and reaction to Domestic Science--to where we are today. But it's all done with friendly; accessible writing by someone who very clearly is comfortable with the history involved here (and with cooking itself). She highlights the many leaders of the Domestic Science movement; the creators and instructors in its cooking schools; and the committees of women who put it all into motion. And she explains exactly why these women veered from the dead-boring to the unthinkably grotesquely wacky in creating the foods they did; and why they got into bed so quickly and so thoroughly with food manufacturers. The entire direction of the movement changed once that last part happened; and Ms. Shapiro very effectively outlines just how cooks all over the country became servants to those manufacturers' increasingly-awful product offerings.If you've been hearing about this book for a while and haven't read it yet; let me encourage you to do so. This book is entirely appropriate for any reader capable of following the information presented; probably late teens and upward. A previous knowledge of American history is not required. This is not a cookbook and does not feature recipes.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. One of my all-time favorite food histories!By CissaI LOVE this book. I read it for the first time many; many years ago- when it was first published- and it made sense of all sorts of things that otherwise looked random: the increasing industrialization of food; the defiantly anti-useful Home Ec classes I was required to take as a girl 40 years ago; and many more.Shapiro is both very informative and amusing about all this. Like caller the book after one of the most horrible dishes ever invented: yes; I have tasted "Perfection Salad"- my mother used to make it- and it is dreadful. Grate up raw carrots and celery and cabbage; and immerse them in lime Jello. Imagine the joy.But- it gives a solid historical look at what the whole "Slow Food" and locavore movements are trying to counter; and how the passion for processing (to the detriment of taste and nutrition) developed.Plus- it's great fun to read. The first time I read it; I kept buttonholing my poor husband to read him selected bits (and I mostly don't do that).I am sorry the current price is so high; it makes this book less accessible. Still; if you are an interested cook wondering how we got to where we are with industrial food production- this is an excellent place to start- especially since it's so much fun!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Incredibly interestingBy morehumanthanhumanThis book is a readable and informative exploration of how American women contributed to the standardization of cooking and "home economics" as a discipline. It's fascinating -- I could have kept reading much more on the subject because Shapiro's writing is so interesting. It's a comprehensive history; one that will be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about the history of American cooking; evolving nutritional standards; women in the professions; or the politics of the female appetite.
