April Not Fiction Book Discussion

For our April Not Fiction Book Discussion we are reading The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation by David Kamp. Kamp, who is a regular contributor to periodicals including Vanity Fair and GQ, presents a social history of American food culture over the last five decades that chronicles what he sees as the happy evolution of American taste from provincial and conventional to multicultural gourmet. Kamp's history is rich with details about the lives of the celebrity chefs who helped create this movement, from the Big Three of James Beard, Julia Child, and Craig Claiborne to current stars of the Food Network such as Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray, and it also suggests the importance of the media and of consumer capitalism in shaping American trends and tastes. Possible topics for conversation could include the role of media and business in creating taste and demand, evolving American notions of gender and culture as reflected in our food culture, whether we agree with Kamp that the gourmet trend in American food culture is completely positive, and the relevance of the food revolution to our own lives. We hope you will be able to join us for our discussion, either at the Main Library on Tuesday, April 1, at 7:00 in Meeting Room A, or here on the blog.

Notes from March's Not Fiction Book Discussion

We opened our discussion of Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin by considering why this book is so popular, such a word-of-mouth book. We decided that Mortenson's story is inspiring because it proves that one person can make a difference on a large scale and provides hope for a confusing, seemingly insoluble political situation. It is the kind of book that can inspire individuals to take action.

We questioned the purpose of the book, and decided that it is not just a biography or adventure story, but also an advertisement for Mortenson's work through his nonprofit Central Asia Institute. In addition, it provides a convincing argument by example for the "three cups of tea" approach to foreign diplomacy. We compared Three Cups of Tea to The Places In Between by Rory Stewart, which we read last October, and agreed that while both books promote this approach to political relationships, Stewart's book, written in first person, is much more of a personal story, a true memoir.

We enjoyed discussing Mortenson's character, especially his transformation from climbing bum to head of an international nonprofit organization. We admire his ability to connect with people very unlike himself culturally and to learn from them the best way to procede to accomplish their mutual goals. We also marveled at his perseverance and disregard for personal comfort and safety.

And we discussed Relin's writing, his style and choice of point of view. Some reviewers of the book have criticized Relin's style, saying that his prose is occasionally clunky and that some of his metaphors are awkward and exaggerated. While we admitted that this criticism is true, we also agreed that Relin creates a sense of drama and provides some vivid portraits of the people and places Mortenson encountered. We compared Relin's choice of point of view to Tracy Kidder's in his book about Paul Farmer, Mountains Beyond Mountains, which we read last November, and we came away with an even greater appreciation of Kidder's choice to include himself and his reactions to Farmer in the story, acting as a touchstone for the reader's own reaction to Farmer. Relin admits in his introduction that he could not serve as an objective observer but felt compelled to advocate for Mortenson, which caused some of us to question whether we are getting a full, truthful portrait of Mortenson's character. And Relin's choice to use a point of view that provides access to Mortenson's thoughts caused some of us to question to what degree those thoughts were truly Mortenson's, accurately recalled, or Relin's artistic creation.

Overall, we enjoyed Three Cups of Tea and found that it opens up many important political, cultural, literary, and personal discussions. We invite you to join those discussions here on the blog.

Visit these links to learn more about Mortenson's nonprofit Central Asia Institute and to get involved with fundraising through Pennies for Peace.