| The Story of Corn Contributor(s): Fussell, Betty (Author) |
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ISBN: 0826335926 ISBN-13: 9780826335920 Publisher: University of New Mexico Press OUR PRICE: $28.45 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: December 2004 Annotation: In an authoritative, wise and wholly original blend of social history, art, science and anthropology, Betty Fussell tells the story of corn in a narrative that is as uniquely hybrid as her subject. It is a story that can be told in the language of myth or industry, of sacred ritual or secular farming, but in any language it makes clear that all the civilizations of the Western Hemisphere have been built on corn. The great epic of this amazing grain and of the people who for seven centuries have planted, eaten, worshipped, processed and profited from it reaches into every corner of American life--not just its food but also its poetry, its commerce, its religion and, of course, its booze. In her beautifully balanced text as well as in hundreds of extraordinary illustrations, Fussell juxtaposes the many facets of corn's history and influence to surprising, dramatic effect. The Story of Corn changes completely one's sense of the shape and nature of the American experience. You will never again munch on a hush puppy, admire a Maya temple, read Hiawatha or simply pass a cornfield in the same way. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Technology & Engineering | History - Technology & Engineering | Agriculture - Agronomy - General |
| Dewey: 633.150 |
| LCCN: 2004001568 |
| Physical Information: 1.08" H x 8" W x 8.98" (1.64 lbs) 367 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The Story of Corn is a unique compendium, drawing upon history and mythology, science and art, anecdote and image, personal narrative and epic to tell the extraordinary story of the grain that built the New World. Corn transformed the way the entire world eats, providing a hardy, inexpensive alternative to rice or wheat and cheap fodder for livestock and finding its way into everything from explosives to embalming fluid. Betty Fussell has given us a true American saga, interweaving the histories of the indigenous peoples who first cultivated the grain and the European conquerors who appropriated and propagated it around the globe. She explores corn's roles as food, fetish, crop, and commodity to those who have planted, consumed, worshiped, processed, and profited from it for seven centuries. Now available only from the University of New Mexico Press, The Story of Corn, is the winner of a Julia Child Cookbook Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Written in a lively and nontechnical style.--Library Journal Fussell has clearly done a good deal of research and a lot of traveling--peering over a precipice at Machu Picchu, descending into a restored ceremonial kiva of the Anasazi people in New Mexico, visiting the sole surviving corn palace from the Midwest boosters--glory days of a century ago.--Kirkus Reviews |
Contributor Bio(s): Fussell, Betty: - Betty Fussell received a Ph.D. in English literature, has written over a dozen books about a variety of foods, and penned food columns for The New York Times. She resides in New York. |