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The Chicken Book
Liberating today's chicken from cartoons, fast food, and other demeaning associations, The Chicken Book at once celebrates and explains this noble fowl. As it traces the rise and fall of Gallus domesticus from the jungles of ancient India to the assembly-line hatcheries sprawled across modern America, this original, frequently astounding book passes along a trove of knowledge and lore about everything from the chicken's biology and behavior to its place in legend and mythology. The book includes lively discussions of the chicken's role in literature and history, the cruel attractions of cockfighting, the medicinal uses of eggs and chicken parts, the details of the egg-laying process, the basics of the backyard coop, recipes, and much more. Entertaining and insightful, The Chicken Book will change the way we regard this too often underappreciated animal.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
392 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2000
58 people want to read
About the author
Page Smith
84 books12 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Charles Page Smith, who was known by his middle name, was a U.S. historian, professor, author, and newspaper columnist.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Smith graduated with a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College in 1940. He then worked at Camp William James, a center for youth leadership training opened in 1940 by Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, a Dartmouth College professor, as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Smith was awarded a Purple Heart for his service as a company commander of the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army during World War II. (wikipedia)
Charles Page Smith, who was known by his middle name, was a U.S. historian, professor, author, and newspaper columnist.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Smith graduated with a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College in 1940. He then worked at Camp William James, a center for youth leadership training opened in 1940 by Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, a Dartmouth College professor, as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Smith was awarded a Purple Heart for his service as a company commander of the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army during World War II. (wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 7, 2024
I loved the premise of this book. But the execution felt like it fell a little flat. It reads more like a random collection of scientific and historical facts rather than the Foucauldian genealogy at which they were aiming (not that Foucault is all that interesting to begin with).
October 2, 2015
The Chicken Book is marketed as a compendium of all things chicken lore and history. It really isn't a book on raising chickens, though it briefly touches that subject, as well as including some recipes for eating chickens and eggs.
This book covers everything from ancient writings about chickens, history, the chicken's role in religion, folklore and mythology, as well as developments in the chicken industry from its conception through the 1970s (when the book was written). The writing is very detailed, but also conversational, including the authors' opinions and speculations interspersed with quotations and citations from earlier texts. (I suspect this may have been in homage to certain key ancient works that included careful, detailed observations of chickens, mixed with wild speculation and assumption.) This makes it an easy read, for a non-fiction history, but would likely be a bit maddening for a scholar looking to cite this work. I read this book for the purpose of finding inspiration for fiction that I intend to write, and so it was rather advantageous.
There are two chapters here about cockfighting. While most of it is presented neutrally, the author makes it known that she does not really object to cockfighting. If this is a problem for you, you've been warned. (I should also note, the author is careful to make it clear that while she is a chicken enthusiast, she regards chickens as livestock, not pets.)
Caveat: I did not read every word or section of this book. I had a particular purpose in mind when I picked this up, and skimmed or skipped those sections that had little useful purpose to me. I was largely focused on lore and mythology.
This book covers everything from ancient writings about chickens, history, the chicken's role in religion, folklore and mythology, as well as developments in the chicken industry from its conception through the 1970s (when the book was written). The writing is very detailed, but also conversational, including the authors' opinions and speculations interspersed with quotations and citations from earlier texts. (I suspect this may have been in homage to certain key ancient works that included careful, detailed observations of chickens, mixed with wild speculation and assumption.) This makes it an easy read, for a non-fiction history, but would likely be a bit maddening for a scholar looking to cite this work. I read this book for the purpose of finding inspiration for fiction that I intend to write, and so it was rather advantageous.
There are two chapters here about cockfighting. While most of it is presented neutrally, the author makes it known that she does not really object to cockfighting. If this is a problem for you, you've been warned. (I should also note, the author is careful to make it clear that while she is a chicken enthusiast, she regards chickens as livestock, not pets.)
Caveat: I did not read every word or section of this book. I had a particular purpose in mind when I picked this up, and skimmed or skipped those sections that had little useful purpose to me. I was largely focused on lore and mythology.
March 28, 2009
Outstanding-everything you want to know about chickens, today & in history. More about chickens than you ever knew there was to know!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews