One Book of Rutherford County Announces the Selection for 2009 -- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
About the book: Author Barbara Kingsolver, writer of the critically acclaimed novel, The Poisonwood Bible, has now penned a timely and engaging work of non-fiction that deals with current concerns regarding energy, the environment and America's food safety. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chronicles a calendar year during which Kingsolver and her family moved to an Appalachian farm and attempted to become "locavores" -- people who eat only locally grown food. The book encompasses a great number of topics that serve as food for thought -- from the environmental and energy costs of transporting food around the world to the dangers of genetically modified foods and the nutritional woes of processed foods.
Facts presented by Kingsolver in her book are eye opening. Did you know that:
- Each item served in an American meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles before it reaches the table.
- After automobiles, food production ranks as the second-biggest consumer of fossil fuels. Americans consume about 400 gallons of oil per citizen per year directly related to eating.
- Eating one meal a week made from locally and organically produced meats, vegetables and fruits would reduce our country's oil consumption by more than 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.
- For every dollar Americans currently spend on food, eighty cents is for processing, packaging, transportation, storage and advertising.
- Almost 75% of all antibiotics used in the United States today are used by Concentrated Animal Feed Operations (CAFOs), which can house 1152 chickens in a 6-by-8-foot room.
- Storage, transportation and breeding to increase the shelf life not only decrease the nutritional value of vegetables but also their taste.
Beyond the facts and the impassioned plea to eat locally, Kingsolver's work is also a neighborly read filled with a generous helping of family remembrances, farm wisdom and food humor (see the passages in the book on turkey sex). Like the experiment to eat locally, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a family project with Barbara writing the lyrical and compelling narrative that holds the book together while her husband Steven Hopp adds useful sidebars on ecology and global agribusiness and her daughter Camille provides recipes and the insights of a teenager forgoing the fast food culture.
Why Was Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Selected as the One Book the Citizens of Rutherford County Should Read in 2009?
"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is much more than an entertaining and engaging read. This is one of those wonderful books that has the potential to change our lives and the life of our county for the better.
"The mission of One Book is to bring the people of our county together over the pages of a really good book. It's meant to encourage adults to read at least one book in 2009, to show our children by example the importance of reading and to introduce a subject, message or cause that warrants discussion. Nothing is of more basic importance to all of us than the food we put into our bodies every day and it's impact on our health, the environment and the well being of our families.
"The One Book Committee believes that reading this book and making a few simple changes could make a real difference in our community."
- One Book Chairperson Carlene Hurst
How Can I Get Involved?
Individuals -- First, read the book and encourage your friends and family to read it. take part in a neighborhood discussion of the book or participate in one of the events organized by One Book. A calendar of those events will be available on this blog soon. If you're part of a book club, consider having your group read the One Book selection in the spring of 2009. If you've already read the book, encourage those around you to share in the experience. You can also help by volunteering for a One Book event or making a donation.
Companies -- Businesses and workplaces can encourage employees and customers to take the One Book challenge and read. They can also help further the One Book cause by considering becoming a sponsor of the organization and One Book events. For more information on One Book corporate sponsorships, contact David O'Flaherty at the Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro at 615/893-4131 or by email at doflaherty@linebaugh.org
