A New Scientist, Globe and Mail, and Eater Best Book of 2023In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Anthony Bourdain, and Mark Bittman, “a surprising, flavorsome tour of ancient cuisines” (Kirkus, STARRED)****—from Neolithic bread to ancient Roman fish sauce—and why reviving the foods of the past is the key to saving the future.“A fascinating look at the people who are keeping these ancient food traditions ali...

Strong social and political relevance: Possess the Air is a story of resistance against political fascism, profiling acts of political dissidence. Appeal to socially conscious and politically engaged readers, as well as WWII history buffs.The author of seven previous books of nonfiction, Grescoe has contributed to New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Gourmet, and Wall Street Journal.

The true story of a British aristocrat, an American flapper, and a Chinese poet trapped in an unlikely love triangle amid the decadence of Jazz Age Shanghai.On the eve of World War II, the foreign-controlled port of Shanghai was the rendezvous for the twentieth century's most outlandish adventurers, all under the watchful eye of the fabulously wealthy Sir Victor Sassoon.Emily "Mickey" Hahn was a legendary New Yorker journalist whose vivid writing pla...

On the eve of the Second World War, the foreign-controlled port of Shanghai was the rendezvous for the twentieth century's most outlandish adventurers, all under the watchful eye of the illustrious Sir Victor Sassoon.Emily 'Mickey' Hahn arrived there at the height of the Depression. A legendary New Yorker journalist, Hahn's vivid writing would play a crucial role in opening Western eyes to the realities of life in China. But on reaching Shanghai, Hahn was nursing a broken ...

“Vivid and entertaining… Grescoe, who lives in Montreal, roams the world to tell the stories of various passions, most of them edible.” —The New York Times“Grescoe is of the Anthony Bourdain school of food reportage, treating the reader as a sidekick on a rebellious gastronomical adventure with lots of boozing (absinthe in Switzerland), drugs (coca leaves in Bolivia) and foods that, tasty as they may be, are not for the faint of heart… behind this culinary risk-taker hides a true p...

There’s simply no limit to the sins people will commit for a tasty meal. The Japanese are notorious for their trade in bluefin tuna, while newlyweds in Bangkok, Shanghai and Singapore devour a gelatinous soup made from poached abalone and fins hacked from living sharks. But surely there’s no need for you to feel bad about ordering sea bass in a London restaurant? Unless, of course, you consider that you may well be enjoying one of the very last members of the species.In Dead Se...

Witty and provocative, The End of Elsewhere is a riotous on-the-road odyssey, a brilliant history of leisure travel, and an investigation of the impact of mass tourism on the world's most fragile places. It will be treasured by anyone who has been conned by "authentic" travel."Grescoe weaves humour, anthropology and travelogue into an eclectic mix that makes The End of Elsewhere one of the most original travel books to come out in years. His perspective is fresh; his prose never du...

Dividing his sensibilities between Epicureanism and ethics, award-winning author Taras Grescoe set out on a worldwide search for a delicious―and humane―plate of seafood. What he discovered shocked him. From Red Lobsters to shrimp farms in India, Bottomfeeder takes readers on an illuminating tour through the $55-billion-dollar-a-year seafood industry. Grescoe examines how out-of-control pollution, unregulated fishing practices, and climate change affect what ends up on our plate. More than ...

Never in history have we seemed to have such global freedom, such an opportunity to indulge our wildest tastes. We think we live in a time of unprecedented choice. But as Taras Grescoe discovers, this is just an illusion.In this witty expose our intrepid author goes in search of the things that the rulers of the world will punish you for trying – all the time asking the question: why in ostensibly free states should we be criminalized for behaviour that concerns no one but ourselve...

The original round-the-world public transport travelogue. Award-winning author Taras Grescoe rides subways, streetcars, bikes and ferries from Toronto to Tokyo, Phoenix to Bogotá, to find out what makes some cities work, and why the car was never the answer for the cities of the 21st century."[A] passionately argued and important book." —The Guardian"A sort of love letter to mass transit—and an oddly compelling and entertaining one at that." —T...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers an intimate chronicle of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz—an inspiring portrait of courage and leadership in a time of unprecedented crisis“One of [Erik Larson’s] best books yet . . . perfectly timed for the moment.”—Time • “A bravura performance by one of America’s greatest storytellers.”—NPR

Pulitzer Prize Finalist | New York Times Bestseller | A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick | A New York Times Book Review Notable Book | TIME Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of the YearNamed one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post; O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Vogue, Refinery29, and Buzzfeed