The Handbook of Food and Anthropology - by Jakob A Klein & James L Watson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year 2017

This Handbook features 20 original essays by leading figures in the discipline, which examine traditional areas of research as well as cutting-edge areas of inquiry. Divided into three parts - Food, Self and Other; Food Security, Nutrition and Food Safety; Food as Craft, Industry and Ethics - the book covers topics such as identity, commensality, locality, migration, ethical consumption, artisanal foods and children's food. Each chapter features rich ethnography alongside wider analysis of the subject. Internationally renowned scholars offer insights into their core areas of specialty including Michael Herzfeld on culinary stereotypes, David Sutton on how to conduct
an anthropology of cooking, Johan Pottier on food insecurity and Melissa L. Caldwell on practising food anthropology.

Now available in paperback, this is a field-defining survey of the area and its key themes. A new afterword by Cristina Grasseni adds a reflection on the original essays and how the field has continued to develop.

Review Quotes

"The volume's greatest strength is, perhaps, that it is forward looking, and thus very useful for defining a set of issues that are likely to occupy anthropological research for years to come ... For food scholars, the "Handbook" is a must-read." --Anthropos

"Jakob Klein and James Watson bring together a welcome addition to the world of food studies in their new book The Handbook of Food and Anthropology. The book provides an insightful reference for anthropology and food studies scholars because of its attention to social and cultural contexts and rich ethnographic accounts [...]" --Kimberly Lok Wong, Temple University, USA

"An excellent collection that would make Goody and Mintz, to whom the book is dedicated, proud." --Julie Guthman, University of California at Santa Cruz, USA

"Comprehensive and thorough, this collection is an essential reference for any anthropologist working on food. It opens a door into the breadth and richness of a disciplines engagement with food, both a basic human need and a source of pleasure. This book is a solid foundation for both newcomers to the field, and veteran investigators.

" --Richard Wilk, Indiana University, USA

"This book confirms the fundamental contribution that anthropologists have made to the study of food, culture and society. With research extending from kinship and commensality to novel work on corporate ethnography and bioengineering, this collection makes a compelling case for the anthropological study of food and modern life." --Peter Jackson, University of Sheffield, UK

"At last, a handbook that reflects the emergence and importance of the study of food as a core feature of twenty-first century anthropology. Embracing environmental subjects, transnational business, globalism, policy and practice, it serves up the penetrating insights into everyday life that are anthropology's traditional speciality while looking ahead to the transdisciplinary future of food. Truly, a feast." --Kaori O'Connor, UCL, UK

"A well-balanced and creatively prepared selection of essays, this book reveals that understanding food, now more than ever, requires attention to the scientific possibilities, political promises, and ethical concerns entangled with nutrition, taste, and hunger. It represents the best current work in this field, helping us think about how to provision this hungry planet safely and equitably." --Leo Coleman, editor of 'Food: Ethnographic Encounters'

About the Author

Jakob A. Klein is Lecturer in Social Anthropology at SOAS, University of London, UK.

James L. Watson is Fairbank Professor of Chinese Society and Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus, Harvard University, USA.