The Fate of Food by Little and Falter by McKibben

Here are some comments on two newer books which independently use “bleak” to describe a possible future.

THE FATE OF FOOD by Amanda Little, a professor of journalism and science writing at Vanderbilt University, is subtitled “What We’ll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World.” In over a dozen chapters, she explores some really interesting – and disruptive – ideas like Impossible Meat product development and research into why humans crave meat. The CEO of Impossible Meats says, “our mission is to completely replace animals in the food system by 2035, which we will certainly do.”  Sound far-fetched? Maybe, but starting next week the Impossible Burger will be available at every Burger King. Amanda Little’s research about our changing food supply led her to conduct interviews in a dozen countries and around the United States and she includes black and white photographs in this text. That helps envision some of these technologies and how wide-spread they could become.  Little deftly explains changes in agriculture, threats to the water supply, and evolving production processes like vertical farming.  For a quick overview, listen to Terry Gross’ interview with her on NPR’s Fresh Air. Notes and an index comprise about fifteen percent of THE FATE OF FOOD which received a starred review from Kirkus.

FALTER by Bill McKibben is a new non-fiction work by the activist author of the more fanciful Radio Free Vermont. Thirty years after publishing The End of Nature about global warming, McKibben combines his long-standing concern about Earth’s environment with apprehension about the increasing influence of technology (especially artificial intelligence and genetic engineering) in our lives. In FALTER he argues that “we’re simply so big, and moving so fast, that every decision carries enormous risk.” In the first section, Size of the Board, McKibben looks at ways that “privilege lies in obliviousness,” how we have distanced ourselves from nature, and how we already have losses due to a changing climate (e.g., “winter doesn’t reliably mean winter anymore, and so the way we’ve always viscerally told time has begun to break down.”) In a section titled Leverage, he looks at shifts in ideology involving profit-seeking and race-baiting, the short-term outlook and lack of human solidarity. His philosophical comments are interspersed with data and statistics (e.g., on establishing solar panels) and, thus, FALTER is a rather involved call to action. McKibben argues that “we have the tools (nonviolence chief among them) to allow us to stand up to the powerful and the reckless.” He has “walked the talk” by founding the environmental organization 350.org and offers in his latest work an updated, but at times, meandering treatise which is both alarming and hopeful. Approximately ten percent of FALTER is devoted to notes and an index. FALTER received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly and appears in The Washington Post list of “40 new books that tell America’s Story.”

More New Non-fiction ...

I often post about several recent non-fiction books at the same time so here are three which would have specialized appeal, particularly for Junior Theme research. In its own way, each reflects the continuing impact of technology – on how we make and decide on purchases, on privacy and autonomy, and on the science of what we eat. 

THE SHOPPING REVOLUTION by Barbara Kahn was recently published by Wharton Digital Press and is subtitled “How Successful Retailers Win Customers in an Era of Endless Disruption.” Reflecting on individual changes in shopping habits (e.g., mall visits were down by 50% between 2010 and 2013) and frequent store closure announcements, one can readily see the huge disruption in retail. Kahn ably provides details and stresses the classic need to understand what customers want whether it is primarily convenience (Amazon) or low prices (Walmart). Building on her extensive industry background, she provides numerous examples including strategies involving vertically integrated brands, luxury goods, and the marketing of customer experience. Kahn is the Patty and Jay H. Baker Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the school provides an excellent online overview of this text where one can view charts and hear the author speak about her book. THE SHOPPING REVOLUTION is a relatively short overview (174 pages) worth a look by anyone interested in this sector.

EXPLODING DATA by Michael Chertoff was recently published by Grove Atlantic and is subtitled “Reclaiming our Cybersecurity in the Digital Age.” Chertoff, of course, was Secretary of Homeland Security from 2005–2009 and so has a unique outlook to bring to this topic. He begins by stressing in his introduction that “big data is watching you.” Most readers are all too familiar with the loss of privacy as business and government collect increasing amounts of data, but Chertoff argues that we may not fully understand the extent to which that data allows for our manipulation.  A co-author of the Patriot Act, Chertoff calls for more legislation and robust regulation. Providing a readable overview of a complex topic which impacts everyone, Chertoff’s EXPLODING DATA discusses technological, legal and international challenges; this title received a starred review from Library Journal.

 

As many have said: if there is no charge, you are the product. Be wary. In fact, a related story in today’s Wall Street Journal explained that “Facebook Grants Researchers Data Access for Election Study” whereby through a group called Social Science One academics will be able to access data on 2.2 billion Facebook users to learn more about the effects of social media on elections and democracy.

Finally, SEEDS OF SCIENCE by award-winning author Mark Lynas (Six Degrees) was recently published by Bloomsbury and is subtitled “Why we got it so wrong on GMOs.” Lynas, a science writer and protester against genetically modified crops in the mid-1990s, has dramatically and publicly changed his mind. In SEEDS OF SCIENCE he uses scientific evidence to explain why he is now a GMO supporter; roughly ten percent of the book is devoted to notes and a helpful index. This is a somewhat dense, though thoughtful – and thought provoking – work which traces the politics, the business decisions, and the science involved with GMOs, providing details from both sides of the argument.