9 Comments

Really enjoyed this. Has the definitive book been written on the soybean as a driver of global history? One of those Kurlansky "Salt"-type books?

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I don't know about "definitive" but there have been quite a few soybean related books published in the last few years, and an astounding amount of recent academic work. it's a crowded market.

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Anything that an ordinary person would read? Personally, I'd snap up a smart, well-written popular history on the subject but do not have the depth of interest to wade through a jargony stew of "late capitalism," "hegemonic states," etc.

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Christine M. Dubois' The Story of Soy is very informative and quite accessible. Magic Bean: The Rise of Soy in America, by Matthew Roth is also pretty good. Both came out in 2018.

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Thank you!

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Wow—I’m persuaded. I love tofu and always season steak with soy sauce, but had no idea that I was yet another tiny servant of this majestic power.

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We all must bow down to the Mighty Soybean.

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I know that you are most enthusiastic about the culinary culture of

China. However, this sort of economic history is right in my wheelhouse. Thank you

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You are welcome. My goal has always been to exploit my love for Sichuan's culinary culture to tell stories that go in all kinds of directions. So I can guarantee more like this in the future!

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