Consider the Fork

A History of How We Cook and Eat

By: Bee Wilson

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Since prehistory, humans have braved the business ends of knives, scrapers, and mashers, all in the name of creating something delicious - or at least edible. In Consider the Fork, award-winning food writer and historian Bee Wilson traces the ancient lineage of our modern culinary tools, revealing the startling history of objects we often take for granted. Charting the evolution of technologies from the knife and fork to the gas range and the sous-vide cooker, Wilson offers unprecedented insights into how we've prepared and consumed food over the centuries - and how those basic acts have changed our societies, our diets, and our very selves.

©2012 Bee Wilson (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Wilson is erudite and whip-smart, but she always grounds her exploration of technological change in the perspective of the eternal harried cook - she's been one - struggling to put a meal on the table. This is mouthwatering history: broad in scope, rich in detail, stuffed with savory food for thought." ( Publishers Weekly)

Interesting content, but not a good flow.

The author has some really good historical content and explanation, but she jumps around too much. The book has a tendency to jump foreword and backward in time and from item to item.
Some additional information about other culinary cultures would have been appreciated too.

A fresh view on kitchen technology and tools

The narration is excellent. The topic is a fresh view of kitchen technology from roasting spits to sou vide cooking. The author has done her research globally. Although the author is clearly from the UK, she discusses the trends in kitchen technology world wide with special focus on the U.S. and UK with attention paid to the differences in economies, tastes, and social trends driving kitchen tech and tools in different parts of the world. With all the books about the history of food it is nice to get a book focused on the tools we use to prepare it as well. I highly recommend!

Loved this book --

If you are a foodie or food history buff, you will enjoy this book. It's fascinating in its detail of kitchen equipment, appliances, and so on. It reminded me, in a way, of Bill Bryson's "At Home," another excellent book about the history of the home. It's a good read.

Must read for anyone who enjoys cooking!

This book really blew my expectations. I love her comfortable style of writing and her witty comments. As I listened to the different chapters, I felt this incredible connection to her as a fellow lover of food. Really worthwhile, my only complaint would be that it did not come with attached pictures of the described contraptions.

Great for history and food lovers

really nice overview of how kitchens and cooking evolved, great for those "useless facts" you'd like to dish out, pun very much intended.

Humor, lots of tidbits of history.

Very educational and entertaining; informative as it jumps around a lot in following interesting trails of information.

Great information if you play Trivail Pursuit

I have read a significant number of books of this ilk. I generally like the book. You lean about the history of this and that -- one of them being the fork. Although this book is packed with interesting information. There is nothing earth moving or should I should say cow moving. If you want to lean many numerous factoids, this is the book for you. For me it was just ok.

Fake American accent is distracting!

Have you listened to any of Alison Larkin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I intensely dislike the (un)American accent she uses for the American characters in the book. It's utterly distracting and takes away from her otherwise splendid performance.

What fun...

A charming book that tells the history of what we eat through the tools we use to prepare it. The book is written with great charm and good humor and the narration is just right.

History is most often told through politics and commerce. This is history of a different sort, told through the kitchen.

Fascinating Book

This is even better than I hoped for, but I did have to listen away from bedtime because the narrator's voice is very calm and soothing.