49 ratings | 1 review | avg rating:4.88

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Lisa Haushofer

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Born

in Germany

Member Since

August 2020

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How do you get inspired to write?

Lisa Haushofer I read! I am an ardent reader, across many different genres, fiction and nonfiction, often reading several books in parallel. I particularly enjoy his…moreI read! I am an ardent reader, across many different genres, fiction and nonfiction, often reading several books in parallel. I particularly enjoy historical fiction, fantasy, and inspirational fiction, as well as nonfiction books on the histories of science, medicine, and food. Reading is my main source of inspiration for writing - I get excited about beautiful prose, a well-crafted narrative arc, interesting characters, and creative structures. Especially authors who take risks, who are not afraid to try something new or defy expectations, embolden me to be playful and creative in my own writing.

I also read a lot about the craft of writing, and I love reading other writers' writing routines. I'm signed up to writingroutines.com which sends interviews with authors about their writing habits directly to my inbox. Finding my own writing routine has been very helpful to me in inspiring my writing. My routine is heavy on the sensory - it involves listening to music, lighting a scented candle, drinking coffee, and activating old-fashioned typewriter sounds on my keyboard... I find that these things render the writing experience pleasant and embodied, and make it easier to sit down t write again the next day.
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Lisa Haushofer It was a mix of curiosity and serendipity: As a historian and a physician, I have long been interested in the history of cure and cures. I had been wo…moreIt was a mix of curiosity and serendipity: As a historian and a physician, I have long been interested in the history of cure and cures. I had been working on the history of surgical treatments and organotherapy when I came across a set of archival documents about Benger's Food, a 19th-century food that supposedly contained digestive enzymes and was therefore marketed as an aid to digestion. This seemed so unusual to me, and so similar to some of our contemporary supplements and health food products. My interest was piqued, and I investigated. Slowly, I came to discover that Benger's Food was just the tip of the iceberg, and that there was a veritable sea of so-called "artificially digested" products in circulation at the time (the remains of which have left a trace even today - think of products like Pepsi-Cola, which once contained the digestive enzyme pepsin!). What was more, such artificially digested foods were only one example of a series of 'wonder foods' - foods that claimed to do a lot more than simply nourish, that lured consumers with promises of optimization, productivity, longevity, and health. I wanted to understand this phenomenon of 'wonder foods,' and it led me on a fascinating journey of discovery, one that made me realize that the origins of our obsession with optimization through food lie not merely in our recent past. Instead, their roots must be sought in a much deeper history, one in which the pursuit of nutrition became inextricably linked to the expansion of empires, the unfolding of capitalist logics, and the growing grasp of white supremacy. (less)

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Lisa Haushofer’s books

Average rating: 4.25 · 8 ratings · 2 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	A Short History of Medicine by Erwin H. Ackerknecht, Charles E. Rosenberg, Lisa Haushofer (Goodreads Author) 3.74 avg rating — 57 ratings — published 1982 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wonder Foods: The Science and Commerce of Nutrition (California Studies in Food and Culture) (Volume 80) 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Lisa Haushofer's Blog

Of Wonder and Debts

It’s less than a week until the official pub date of my book 'Wonder Foods: The Science and Commerce of Nutrition,' and I wanted to say something about the title...

I’m pretty stoked about it because I think it captures pretty well the main stakes of the book. ‘Wonder foods’ are, of course, foods that promise to be more than ‘mere foods’ – to nourish better, more efficiently, more naturally, than o Read more of this blog post »

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Published on December 22, 2022 01:46

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Lisa is Currently Reading

Lisa Haushofer is currently reading

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 01, 2026 10:02AM

Lisa Haushofer is currently reading

The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)

by Deborah Harkness (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 01, 2026 10:02AM

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Lisa Haushofer has read Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lisa Haushofer wants to read Flights by Olga Tokarczuk	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 01, 2026 10:04AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Flights by Olga Tokarczuk. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Flights by Olga Tokarczuk <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lisa Haushofer is currently reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 01, 2026 10:02AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lisa Haushofer is currently reading The Book of Life (All Souls, #3) by Deborah Harkness (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lisa Haushofer has read Shadow of Night (All Souls, #2) by Deborah Harkness (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lisa Haushofer has read A Discovery of Witches (All Souls, #1) by Deborah Harkness (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lisa Haushofer finished reading House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lisa Haushofer finished reading Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lisa Haushofer finished reading The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1) by T.J. Klune (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lisa Haushofer finished reading A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 01, 2026 10:00AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">