Eating the landscape review

Eating the landscape by Enrique Salmon is a non-fiction cookbook. In the book Salmon tells stories of traditions being indigenous growing up with his family, community and food. He looks at the relationship with food then versus now. He talks about the agriculture and how the elders are dying off and the youth is not taking on the reasonability.

“Salmón shows that collective philosophies such as the importance of participation in a reciprocal relationship with the land, the connection between each group’s cultural identity and their ecosystems, and the indispensable correlation of land consciousness and food consciousness ,may be the key to sustaining food sources for humans in years to come.”(goodreads)

The strengths of the book was the critical thinking aspect after being presented with the stories and concepts. The stories being told helps readers to create visual imagery being able to mindfully be present for better understanding of the native ways and reasoning. In addition another strength of the book was the educational piece. The book was rich with traditions and “ways of life”. The effectiveness of comparing and contrast their lifestyle with our present/ future was what made the information register. For example the average people does think about the access and availability of their food in years to come. Food is overlooked as a obligation when in reality it's a privilege.

The weakness of the book was the flow of the writing. Information wasn't easily followed chapter to chapter, connecting the connections was a bit difficult. The book was disinteresting to me because of that. Maybe because it was a thinner book a lot of information was compacted leaving no space for reconnecting ideas and making sure readers understand as it was done in Braiding sweetgrass. Salmon has a different writing style that is unique to him but not all his readers.

I would recommend this book to people who are interested in indigenous traditions in addition anyone who want to expand their knowledge on food specifically the agriculture part.

The audience that best fits this read is scientist and environment careers for the knowledge of relationships between us and the land.

Work site.

Salmon, Enrique. “Eating the Landscape.” By Enrique Salmon, www.goodreads.com/book/show/13226644-eating-the-landscape?from_search=true.