Module 11, What the World Eats

#1 Bibliographic Information

D'Aluisio, Faith D. (2008). What the world eats. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.

#2 Summary

In what the world eats, D'Aluisio and photographer, Peter Menzel travel to several countries, cities, towns and villages to photograph and interview one family there and what they eat.  These profiles are also accompanied by statistics of where each family lives; for example, population, the primary method of procuring food (store or land) and method of cooking food, among others.  Their travels take them to prosperous (the U.S.) as well as to third world countries (Chad).  The author's intention is to call attention to why Americans, and those in prosperous countries with access to healthy foods, are actually less healthy, and of course, how diets change based on the economic level of families and countries, and 

based on the naturally grown or hunted foods in the region.

#3 Reaction

I thought this book was enormously fun to read, and so informative.  The pictures and the text are of such high quality that it made me feel as though I was watching a documentary, or (without the pictures) listening to a story on NPR.  The pictures and interviews are fascinating (the photographer places a week's worth of food in front of the family who eats it, and I spent most of my time looking at every single item), but this book wouldn't be as fun without the accompanying statistics; the context is what makes it so interesting.  I also appreciated that the authors state "that none of these families is meant to be a statistical representation of the country in which they live.  They represent themselves, and even then as only a snapshot in time" (D'Aluisio, 11).  I don't think I would have enjoyed the book as much if the authors had meant each family were to bear the burden of representing their countries.  Indeed, their personal stories are also intriguing.  This is a wonderful book, and would be great to enjoy as a family.

#4 Reviews for What the World Eats 

Review #1

Adapted from last year's Hungry Planet, this brilliantly executed work visits 25 families in 21 countries around the world. Each family is photographed surrounded by a week's worth of food and groceries, which Menzel and D'Aluisio use as a way of investigating not only different cultures' diets and standard of living but also the impact of globalization: why doesn't abundance bring better health, instead of increased occurrences of diabetes and similar diseases? These points are made lightly: delivered almost conversationally, the main narrative presents friendly, multigenerational portraits of each family, with meals and food preparation an avenue toward understanding their hopes and struggles. A wealth of supporting information--lush color photographs, family recipes, maps, sidebars, etc.--surrounds the text (superb design accomplishes this job harmoniously) and implies questions about global food supplies. Pictures of subsistence farmers in Ecuador cultivating potatoes from mountainous soil form sharp contrasts with those of supermarkets in a newly Westernized Poland. Fact boxes for each country tabulate revealing statistics, among them the percentage of the population living on less than $2 per day (47% in China, where the average daily caloric intake is nonetheless 2,930 per person); the percentage with diabetes; number of KFC franchises.Engrossing and certain to stimulate. All ages. (Sept.)

--What the world eats (2008).  Publishers Weekly, 255(35), 53-55.

Review #2

Can too much information give readers intellectual indigestion? When is it better to graze through a book rather than consuming it in one sitting? Is it possible to make good-for-you information as delicious as (guilty) pleasure reading? The adapted version of Hungry Planet:What the World Eats (2005) raises all of these questions. Intended to inform middle-schoolers of the wide variety of food traditions as well as discrepancies in access to adequate nutrition, this collection of photos, essays and statistics will require thoughtful concentration.Adapted and abridged text, a larger font size, the addition of small maps and basic facts about each country and the deletion of some photos that might have been judged inappropriate or disturbing help to make the wealth of information accessible to this audience. Theplentiful photos are fascinating, offering both intimate glimpses of family life and panoramic views of other lands. Whether used for research or received as a gift from socially conscious adults, this version offers children plenty to chew over--but it'll take them some time to truly digest. (Nonfiction. 11-14)

--What the world eats (2008).  Kirkus Reviews, 76(14), 163.

#5 Suggestions for Library Use

Since this is such a rich study, it could probably inspire a library health food program.  Perhaps a week-long program in which children and their parents, using the model in What the world eats, record what they eat, their costs and ingredients, and then examine their choices.  This could help kids in being more conscientious in their food choices, and hopefully help them to make healthier ones.