A renowned anthropologist explores the history and meaning of eating in America. Addressing issues ranging from the global phenomenon of Coca-Cola to the diets of American slaves, Sidney Mintz shows how our choices about food are shaped by a vast and increasingly complex global economy. He demonstrates that our food choices have enormous and often surprising significance. "A buffet of information." - Gael McCarthy, The New York Times "A collection of thoughtful. . . . essays. [Mintz's] writing is intellectually lively and stylistically colorful." -Colman Andrews, Saveur