Revolution at the Table cover art

Revolution at the Table

The Transformation of the American Diet (California Studies in Food and Culture) (Volume 7)

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Revolution at the Table

By: Harvey Levenstein
Narrated by: Marlin May
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $27.99

Buy Now for $27.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

For most Americans in the 19th century, it wasn't what you ate, but how much you ate, that mattered. Late in the century, doctors wrote books like How To Be Plumb and the voluptuous woman was the ideal. The famed actress Lillian Russell, considered by many the epitome of beauty, weighed almost 200 pounds. Today, in contrast, Americans seem obsessed with calories, diets and slimness, and with eating healthful amounts of vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins. What sparked this remarkable revolution in the way we eat.

As historian Harvey Levenstein points out, the great American food revolution really occurred between the years 1880 and 1930. Focusing on this pivotal half-century, Levenstein provides a vivid account of the people and social forces that redirected the American diet, spiced with colorful portraits of the reformers, scientists, businessmen, faddists and hucksters who promoted or exploited the eating revolution.

Levenstein serves up fascinating insights into the social, economic, and political forces that spurred the eating revolution—urbanization, immigration, technological and agricultural advances, and the changing role of women in society. He examines how nutritional science developed in America; how Prohibition's ban on wine helped destroy French cuisine in America; how changes in women's work, marriage, and the family led to lighter, time-saving meals; and how giant food corporations used massive advertising budgets to change the way Americans prepared foods.

The book is published by University of California Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"One of the most interesting and informative indexes into the nature of American culture.... Bon appetit!" (Journal of American Culture)

©2003 Regents of the University of California (P)2023 Redwood Audiobooks
Diets, Nutrition & Healthy Eating

What listeners say about Revolution at the Table

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.