Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World Paperback – July 1, 1998

I really enjoy Kurlansky's books ! After reading the one on oysters end in October, the restaurant Legal Seafoods had their annual oyster festival and I could try different recipes for oysters. So fun ! This book on Cod had such a sad ending, we all know, about depletion of fish in our oceans, like destruction of the oyster industry, all because humans who could make a difference ignored the warning signs and those who warned them, and took action way too late.The mix of a focus on history of a food item (sometimes not food) and world history is wonderful. I had no idea one food item can have such an impact on human history. I only wish I had books like this when learning history way back when in school.I am now in the middle of Salt. And will buy Milk and other of his books.

I found the book Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World fascinating as the author stepped me through the history of Man searching for Cod to feed a burgeoning population in Europe and the nationalistic forces at work as well as the technological advances in fishing methods that allowed for ever growing catches while the fish stocks were dwindling over time due to overfishing. The fact that explorers who "discovered" North America found basque fishing vessels already there was another interesting fact. The book is also filled with recipes and interesting anecdotes to help the reader understand how much the Cod has been an enabler in Western cultural development. The information on the development of Iceland into a modern western country during and after World War II and the "Cod Wars" between Iceland and Great Britain were interesting and to my surprise have come up in recent news reports about fishing quota disagreements between Iceland and the European Union. The writing is accessible and well done. As a comprehensivist I appreciated the well-crafted narrative that weaves all the connections between history, biology, technology, the rise of nations and geopolitical forces into a rich tapestry with a panoramic scope of interconnectedness. I look forward to reading his next book Salt: A World History which I just bought.

This is a wonderful book for any fisherman! The history and explanations are great. It really makes you think about the impact humans have.

This book does a very good job of giving a brief overview of commercial cod fishing in the Atlantic and European waters. Be forewarned: at least a full one-third of this book is on cooking cod. Not only is the last section (which is rather large) on cooking cod, but cod recipes are interspersed throughout the chapters. This really leaves the reader feeling like much of the book is fluff material. I would recommend reading it but I would not recommend spending your money on a new version; buy a cheap used one if you can.

Mark Kurlansky's incredibly readable "Cod" is a 1997 look at the history, and the uncertain future, of the humble cod, staple fish of Europe and North America for a millenium.Kurlansky relooks recent history from the perspective of the pursuit of Atlantic cod, a once unbelievably prolific species overfished into near oblivion. Kurlansky traces the fishing history from multiple perspectives, including that of the Basque, who may have been fishing for abundant cod off Newfoundland even before Columbus "discovered" the New World. The Basque were followed by the French, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the English, and the Americans; the cod catch fed populations on both sides of the Atlantic. The overfishing led to the present state of the fishing fleet of Gloucester, Massachusetts, all but shut down by restrictions intended to save remaining cod stocks, a situation shared by fellow fishermen in Newfoundland.Kurlansky's narrative moves back and forth between the past and the present, as cod fuels the economic growth of colonial New England and eastern Canada, but dwindles in the present. The author closes each chapter with a selection of historical recipes for cooking cod, which should be quite interesting to the seafood cooks in the audience. He successfully mines what could have been a mundane topic for lots of human interest angles, and a possibly prophetic look at the future of wild fish harvesting, a future still in doubt when Kurlansky closed out his book. "Cod" is very highly recommended to readers with an interest in the fish and the industry.

The History was very interesting. The more contemporary stuff and recipes not so much. Might be interested in his first book, "Salt".

As expected

While I am still not quite ready to eat fish for dinner anytime soon - despite great recipes - I must say that this is a truly fascinating read - author Mark Kurlasnsky does amazing research and I while I do not generally consider myself a fan of nonfiction - I hereby declare I will read everything Kurlansky writes! And furthermore, I suggest you do the same - I now know more about fishing than I ever expected to, but I am truly interested in the whole story of the fish this volume celebrates! I've learned more history and refreshed my grasp of geographywithin the pages of this little book than I have in years! I feel I could probably hold a conversation with an old salt fisherman on the merits of the quality of cod caught off of the Grand Banks! I really enjoyed this book and I am now reading Kurlansky's book "Dancing in the Streets" and next in line is his book about the Basque people! Oh and I heartily reccomend KUrlansky's book "Salt" it is astounding!

El libro es un viaje a través de la historia de la mano del bacalao. Fascinante e interesante. Se debería leer en las escuelas..la historia se hace más interesante.

Fast and easy, prodigiously interesting even after a second reading so imagine at first. You travel from place to place and it’s a cooking book : yes yes yes ! Also a British cooking book for fishes not for frogs

This a well researched and beautifully written history of cod as well as a poignant description of how unchecked exploitation destroyed a resource that had been sustainable for centuries. A man-made ecological tragedy.

Boa pesquisa, boa escrita; triste, ao final, por mostrar a imensidão do descuido com a natureza (ou seja, a burrice humana). Gostei mais de "Salt"

I haven't finished reading my copy. I had to buy it because I was too busy dipping in and reading someone else's copy before they moved away. Such an interesting book. If you ever eaten fish and chips on the way home on a Friday night or if you have eaten cod in the finest restaurant you would be amazed by historical significance. It has had more influence on your life than you could have ever imagined. Loved it!