Tom Standage’s latest book presents history through the prism of food: how improvements to food production, food storage, and food distribution allowed for dramatic changes in human society – for example, empowering the transformation from a hunter-gatherer society to that of settled farmers. The author also examines other issues – such as the local food movement – in a balanced way, presenting the merits on both sides of the argument in an effort to find the middle ground. The text is presented in a very readable style, and even though it is essentially a history book, a comprehensive knowledge of world history is not a prerequisite for enjoyment.