I just finished this book. Took me about 3 weeks to finish as I let the chapters sink in after listening. I work in fitness and nutrition field so much of the book was distant to me with its roots and history and talk of chef's domains, food cultivation, food history, pioneering chef's etc. I still took away some very fascinating lessons and facts about the restaurant business, food critics, food preparation methods, food development and much much more. I a Dan Barber fan since seeing his segment on Chef's Table via Netflix. His ideas, efforts, mission, and value to food and human/environmental well-being are laudable. I was floored by the chapter on wheat and bread. My favorite chapter of the whole book. The only areas I disagree with Dan is on his concepts and suggestions for making this practical across a country and nation like the USA. Americans and the USA is not Spain, it is not Mexico. We do not have Dehesa, we do not have the same soils, temperatures, climates and animal/insect ecosystem that these overseas places do. The American palette is ever changing and drives demand for food at both grocery stores, farmers markets (which I love to attend!) and chef's menus at restaurants. I feel that farmers and chef's would need to sacrafice large incomes and revenues in the first several years of trying to adopt and adapt to a methodology and system that Dan wishes to see come to be. Unless all farmers organic and conventional, GMO and non-GMO, ALL go in together, it won't work well if at all. Those who do not would lose money, profits and their way of life in hopes that years later the rebound and see the fruits of such alteration and return to more archaic methods of farming and producing foods. None the less, this book is one of the best books I have read on agro-biz, farming, culinary integration, restaurant evolution, consumer consumption and American food history. Worth a read for those who like intellectual thought and work to see all perspectives of the worlds modern day issues.

Coming from outside of the ag or food industry the book is easily digestible (pun intended) and all 14 and some some change hours had me absolutely captivated. If you have any inclination to Learn about the complexities of food and the best, most sustainable ways to do so this is the book to read.

Dan Barber is inspirational, life changing, words to abide by life. Personally I couldn’t agree more with his opinions about the future of great food could come from.

Awesome book from start to finish. Very well done.