Full of interesting insights on how food shaped how we lived and life shaped how we ate. It's a fascinating topic and I loved the organization of the chapters, from the mortar and plestle to the cuisinart, from the open fire to the convection oven. This is exactly the kind of knowledge I seek, so I can be in the kitchen with someone and say "actually, did you know that English cooking sucks because they simply had too much wood for making fires?" and become the most annoying person at the party.