Description
Book SynopsisAt the turn of the twentieth century, soybeans grew on so little of America's land that nobody bothered to track the total. By the year 2000, they covered upward of 70 million acres. How this little-known Chinese transplant turned into a ubiquitous component of American farming, culture, and cuisine is the story Matthew Roth tells in
Magic Bean: The Rise of Soy in America.
Trade ReviewMagic Bean is compelling, comprehensive, and timely. Matthew Roth has provided a well-examined study of soy's place within a long century of changing agriculture, food, diet, and culture. In the process, he offers an original and admirably wide-ranging account of soy for our time."" - Benjamin R. Cohen, author of
Notes from the Ground: Science, Soil, & Society in the American Countryside""A diverse cast of women and men promoted the soybean as devotedly as John Chapman did the apple, but their efforts have gone as unnoticed as soy lecithin in a chocolate bar. Matthew Roth’s
Magic Bean tells their stories and explains how a food often billed as a meat substitute became a linchpin of animal agriculture."" - Kendra Smith-Howard, author of
Pure and Modern Milk: An Environmental History Since 1900
