Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

It is the section on the history of the Cod fisheries that I find to be most fascinating. The Cod is shown as the lure which drew the first Europeans to North America. Rapidly becoming a staple in the diets of many, Cod became a pillar of he economies of several regions as well as a major commodity in the fabled Triangle Trade. Access to Cod became a causa bellae, which it remains to our day, and a factor in treaty negotiations.

As the history enters more modern times, the narrative focuses more on the depletion of the Cod stocks. The effects of the failure of the Cod stock on fishing communities in the North Eastern United States and Maritime Canada, as well as on British Cuisine, and on the take of other species, make for interesting reading. Cod is identified as the major natural resource of Iceland. The shifting of national policies along with the extent of offshore fishing rights is closely studied. The book concludes with a collection of regional Cod recipes.

Often we think of human history as an exclusively human story. “Cod” reminds us of the interdependence between man and the sea’s creatures.

I highly recommend it if you are taking holidays anywhere in New England, the Martimes, Portugal, Spain, the southwest coast of England or my place - Newfoundland.

I gave it to my father, who is a commercial fisherman, and he really liked it: "Felt like reading about yourself." Enough said.

Mr. Kurlansky succeeds in covering an epic subject in a relatively limited space, and he does a good job of presenting both sides of what has recently become a rather contentious issue, overfishing. Although Mr. Kurlansky does not make a particular point of it, reading between the lines reveals a rather interesting fact: much of the fishing in the world today is driven by government subsidies. As he points out, Canada spends 3 dollars in subsidies for every 1 dollar the fishing industry produces, while Japan has extended $19 billion in credit to its fishing fleet. I smell a promising book about governmental responsibility for environmental damage.

I look forward to reading Mr. Kurlansky's new book on the Basques, but I hope he will revisit the subject of fishing in the future. A similar book about salmon or tuna would probably be just as interesting.

"Truth is TRULY stranger than fiction..."

This is the kind of history lesson that could engage and interest even elementary school students.

Without hesitation - Two Thumbs Up! -mpm