Murph reviewed Edible Economics by Ha-Joon Chang
talks a lot about food, for a book that's not about food
5 stars
Picked this up expecting a book on food systems. It was not that.
While it contains many charming personal anecdotes about specific foods, as well as historical vignettes about those food items, those are primarily used as metaphors to address economic topics. E.g. you assume at your peril that an item without a "spicy" icon on a sichuan restaurant menu does not contain chili peppers -- and nor should you assume that care work does not matter just because it is not paid.
Overall, an entertaining taster menu of critiques and alternatives to the free-trade/free-market hegemony of contemporary economic practice, though you'll need to look elsewhere for a deep dive into any of the topics covered.
