AN EDIBLE HISTORY OF HUMANITY

The three most important "natural" grains in the world—corn, wheat, and rice—are, in fact, entirely unnatural and would not exist in anything like their present form without the shaping hands of humans. Standage's wide-ranging scientific and cultural history of the food we eat brings a host of fresh perspectives like that one, as well as some unnecessary tangents. George K. Wilson is entirely pleasant to listen to as he reads the narrative without embellishment, but his use of cloying accents when reading historical quotations is not successful. It's a poor choice that detracts from an otherwise enjoyable work. D.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2009]