First of all, I just. have to say, I love receiving acceptance for audiobooks on NetGalley! It's a great way to spend my time-consuming fictional and educational content on this platform. Speaking of academic, I was so happy to receive advanced access to Foodtopia by Margot Anne Kelley. I am very fascinated by the socioeconomic impacts that go into planning our food systems and absolving ages' old issues like world hunger and health statistics.

This book was SUPER fascinating to me. As someone who enjoys growing their own food, it helped foster my love of gardening. It was full of stories and facts that helped me understand more of the food world. It gave me a lot of background on people growing their own food and also on different ways food has evolved with culture.

I requested this one fully expecting to it. I think I'd have been better off in this case reading the book rather than listening to the audio version. Or at least not having to finish it so quickly. I think this material benefits from a slower intake of information. This is an important topic and I'm glad I listened, but it was a lot. The audiobook was well done, but I found myself tuning out while it played.

Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book turned out to not be what I was expecting based on the synopses. It started out strong and interesting, but then it focused way to much on history and on utopia's, and philosophical characters from more than a century ago. It became quite boring. Maybe those theme's are an important frame of reference for the point of the book, but honestly there was no reason to spend so much time on them.

Interesting book, as it delves into the history of growing your food over the last couple of hundred years. Plus, the changes in the way food is grown and modified, and the health challenges that can cause. It highlights how locally grown, non-GMO, and organic food is important. I was hoping it would be more about how to live a more off-grid life by growing your own food, and joining communities that support your efforts. Nevertheless, a good book 👍
Reviewed on GoodReads at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60610152

I thought this book was absolutely fascinating. It was a real eye opener on how food security is impacted by society, economy, climate change, etc. They are all entwined layers, and a common utopia seemed to be creating your own homestead and living off the land.

It was also fascinating to see the evaluation of this utopia seeking for different generations. I think this book was a great insight on the science of of mass production of food as well, regardless of whether the "utopia" was attempted to be created in the 1800s, 1900s, or now.