intertidalkendy's reviews
178 reviews

Incredible book outlining the ongoing colonialism in Hawai’i. This is a must read if you have ever been to Hawai’i, want to go, care about Hawai’i, or just want to learn some real American history (aka history of racism, colonialism, & white supremacy) 

Planning to go back & finish! Life got hectic and I had to catch up on other book club books 

"The Blue Plate" takes readers on a journey to understand the complex world of the food we eat - and the sustainability struggles that are only growing in severity and frequency.

Conservation and environmentalism are at the forefront of many people's minds these days. Choosing sustainable and ethical products is a priority. Often the solution for food is touted as being simple: Go vegan. But this sustainability is not as simple as that, especially as you learn more about agriculture methods/impacts, as "The Blue Plate" informs. Mark Easter does a phenomenal job shedding light on the climate crisis link with agriculture. Not only does he touch on the meat and dairy industry but also grains and fruits. He evokes compassion throughout the book, but doesn't hold back with his criticism. While Mark does encourage readers to make personal changes to their plates to help the planet, he holds the most weight against the systemic issues plaguing the industry and changes that can be made to the way we farm to help the environment.

An aspect of the book I was particularly grateful for was the information on dams - the common misconception as the sustainability of dams and how dam removal is restoration and beneficial to the planet and against climate change.

This book is a must read for folks concerned about the climate crisis and better understanding the role agriculture plays. And if this book, or the topic, interests you, I recommend you watch the 2016 documentary, "Sustainable."

I received a free ARC via NetGalley for this book. Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author!

"Mushrooms of Cascadia" is a fantastic resource for mushroom lovers or folks wanting to learn more about the fungi around them.

I have a few mushroom guides for foraging and this one is now my favorite. Mycology is not my strongsuit but I have found that since moving to the PNW, I am more and more interested in the fungi I see on hikes and while looking for spawning salmon. "Mushrooms of Cascadia" is a comprehensive, concise, and an engaging guide for any level of mushroom understanding. I found that the images used in this book were more helpful compared to the other guides on my shelf. This book also filled my desire for a field guide to dive a bit deeper into science, particularly with the information on mushroom genomics research, This aspect of the field particularly fascinates me but I mostly know about marine species genomic research and knowledge.

The information on collection mushroom's for science was also a great addition that stood out to me and that I enjoyed. It was interesting to learn about proper collection and handling techniques, and to compare those to what I have learned in my own field.

If you are an avid outdoors lover and frequent the PNW, this is a field guide for you!

I received a free ARC via NetGalley for this book. Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author!