Myth-busting, witty and thought-provoking, Edible Economics shows that getting to grips with the economy is like learning a recipe: if we understand it, we can change it - and, with it, the world. Because one thing that comes through in Edible Economics, which is more absent in his Chang’s previous books, is that development is difficult. Some weren't as insightful — most probably because I was already aware of those theories and phenomena.

It reminded me a bit of A History of the World in 6 Glasses in style and aims, though with a different focus as Standage's is history and Chang's is economy. Korea również dokonała ogromnego skoku gospodarczego stąd wnioskuję, że ilość odniesień autora do swojej ojczyzny jest podyktowana tym samym motywem.To akurat przypomina mi książkę Marcina Piątkowskiego Złoty Wiek, który potem w wielu wywiadach których słuchałem mówił, że chciał napisać książkę między innymi po to by inni się dowiedzieli jaki sukces gospodarczy przeszła Polska od 89 roku. The definitive, behind-the-scenes look at why Pokémon's evolution from a single Japanese video game to global powerhouse captured the world's attention, and how the "gotta catch 'em all" mentality of its fanbase shaped pop culture—and continues to do so today. In my opinion, this book lacks depth - a facet which especially hurts the obvious agenda-driven nature of the writing. In ‘Edible Economics’, Chang makes challenging economic ideas more palatable by plating them alongside stories about food from around the world. It's rather a compilation of personal anecdotes, food history tidbits, and a critique of economic theories to explain the world we live in.

Now I’m off to read some additional reviews to see what others thought about this one, because I’m not entirely sure what to think. This is the same egomania that underlined Stalin and Mao’s collectivization drives that killed millions.

Economics, though presented as firmly rooted in hard data and science, is just as much a matter of opinion as most things in this world. He uses histories behind familiar food items - where they come from, how they are cooked and consumed, what they mean to different cultures - to explore economic theory.

This is particularly obnoxious because the author recounts throughout the book his international diet. Co zaskakujące autor bardzo płynnie przechodzi z tematów kulinarnych do tematów ogólnoekonomiczno- społecznych. I'm usually a slow reader, but I managed to finish this in just two sittings, not only because it's under 200 pages but also because I was curious to know what strawberries had to do with automation and how okra was affected by colonisation and slavery. Un libro escrito con sentido del humor, rigurosidad argumentativa, con alcances literarios y culturales interesantísimos.I am not suggesting that we should totally give up on food variety, but those who live in rich countries should reduce their expectations for ‘on demand’ food. As a longtime follower of Ha-Joon's ideas and work, I was familiar with most of the points he discussed in this book, from the importance of strategic industrial policy to the power politics of international trade. It doesn't necessarily translate to how food/ingredients shape the global economy but it tries to draw parallelisms into economic concepts. I learned a good deal from each chapter and the author manages to entwine complicated concepts with charming stories and various facts.