No, it's not just about Columbus but rather about the whole world before and after that momentous year. Fernandez-Armesto does indeed take us around the world in both place and time to demonstrate his subtitle: "The Year the World Began." And a good adventure it is, if a little wordy and occasion...
This book is thoughtful, wide-ranging, iconoclastic, brilliant, elegant, and packed with fascinating, abundantly documented information. It’s an exhilarating race through the entire history of where food came from and what it means to humankind. It encompasses psychology, sociology, science, cult...