Ep. 37 – The Origin of Early Civilization
Early civilizations came about with the domestication of fire, plants, animals, and humans. James C. Scott gives us the history of these early states and the problems they faced.
The Paleo Diet in Ancient Civilization
James C. Scott— I am neither an advocate nor a practitioner of the Paleo diet. I love bread, pasta, butter, and yogurt far too much to forsake them altogether. On the other hand, I have made an effort to understand the dietary consequences of “civilization,” of the food ways typical
Deborah Valenze on the History of Milk
In honor of National Dairy Month in June, we thought you might like a taste of Deborah Valenze’s Milk: A Local and Global History, covering the illuminating cultural history of milk, from ancient myth to modern grocery store, now available in paperback from Yale University Press. Deborah Valenze— Cows that
The Mysteries of the Potato Revealed
Follow @yaleSCIbooks Europe took a very long time to get used to the spud, according to John Reader in Potato: A History of the Propitious Esculent. The Bible never mentions potatoes, so European clergymen in the 1700s banned the consumption of the suspiciously anonymous tuber. Doctors in the previous century
The Magic of Milk
Deborah Valenze explains in Milk: A Local and Global History, how the “elixir of immortality” changed from a staple of the gods to a staple of nutrition textbooks.
Notes from a Native New Yorker: For Those Who Mix Breakfast with History
Michelle Stein Whether eaten on the go, or leisurely enjoyed on a weekend morning, bagels are a vital part of most New Yorkers’ eating habits. So, it only made logical sense to turn to Maria Balinska’s The Bagel for my next encounter with New York City in Yale Press’s books.