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Take a breath.... Read slow ly.

How often in the course and crush of our daily lives do we afford ourselves moments to truly relish-to truly be present in-the act of preparing and eating food? For most of us, our enjoyment of food has fallen victim to the frenetic pace of our lives and to our increasing estrangement, in a complex commercial economy, from the natural processes by which food is grown and produced. Packaged, artificial, and unhealthful, fast food is only the most dramatic example of the degradation of food in our lives, and of the deeper threats to our cultural, political, and environmental well-being.

In 1986, Carlo Petrini decided to resist the steady march of fast food and all that it represents when he organized a protest against the building of a McDonald's near the Spanish Steps in Rome. Armed with bowls of penne, Petrini and his supporters spawned a phenomenon. Three years later Petrini founded the International Slow Food Movement, renouncing not only fast food but also the overall pace of the "fast life." Issuing a manifesto, the Movement called for the safeguarding of local economies, the preservation of indigenous gastronomic traditions, and the creation of a new kind of ecologically aware consumerism committed to sustainability. On a practical level, it advocates a return to traditional recipes, locally grown foods and wines, and eating as a social event. Today, with a magazine, Web site, and over 75,000 followers organized into local "convivia," or chapters, Slow Food is poised to revolutionize the way Americans shop for groceries, prepare and consume their meals, and think about food.

Slow Food not only recalls the origins, first steps, and international expansion of the movement from the perspective of its founder, it is also a powerful expression of the organization's goal of engendering social reform through the transformation of our attitudes about food and eating. As Newsweek described it, the Slow Food movement has now become the basis for an alternative to the American rat race, the inspiration for "a kinder and gentler capitalism."

Linger a while then, with the story of what Alice Waters in her Foreword calls "this Delicious Revolution," and rediscover the pleasures of the good life.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

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About the author

Carlo Petrini

95 books49 followers
Carlo Petrini, an Italian sociologist, is the founder of the international movement Slow Food (1989).

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5 stars
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4 stars
49 (25%)
3 stars
71 (36%)
2 stars
33 (17%)
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14 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Alexa Duchesneau.
105 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2024
I hated this book:
1. There are FIVE forwards/prefaces to the English edition. Was there no editor?!
2. Nothing is cited in this book, and there are some insultingly false claims. For example, the claim that wealth has nothing to do with people’s diets. This is FALSE. The author says that 60% of income used to go towards food, and we have the most disposable income that we have ever had, but it’s simply not going to food. He doesn’t acknowledge where that income IS going. Many people spend 60% of their income or more just on rent! How then would they spend an additional 60% on food?
3. This book was PURE indoctrination.
4. If I saw the word “convivial” one more time I was going to throw the book out the window.
5. There is so much hypocrisy, and the author misses the mark on not being a white savior (though he preaches about not being one) and completely misses the mark on not being pretentious, generally.

I took out Alison Waters book, “We are what we eat,” about the same movement, and I will be returning it to the library before reading.

The one saving grace of this book is the second appendix which goes through some of the native and endangered foods and food practices around the world.
Profile Image for Julian Pecenco.
124 reviews3 followers
March 6, 2011
I really wanted to like this book, as I believe in the concept of the Slow Food movement. But what an incredibly boring and unnecessarily boring and stilted book this was. The few bits of good information were buried under such excessive verbiage that I had to force myself to read the whole thing. Had it been more than the slim volume it it, I'd likely have thrown in the towel. I'm not sure if it was the translation or Petrini's original text, but it was truly a slog to get through these few pages, that in the end, did little more than detail the history of Slow Food in Italia.
Profile Image for Amanda.
237 reviews
September 20, 2008
Slow Food is an interesting organization and I like their philosophy regarding food/meal preparation and appreciation. However, their website is more informative and easier to review than this book (www.slowfoodusa.org).
Profile Image for Center For Study Indonesian Food Anthropology .
46 reviews4 followers
June 30, 2023
Halo, Kerabat !

Buku ini memanglah buku yang reflektif, karena isinya akan membawa pada perenungan yang tidak hanya merenungkan tentang makanan cepat saji dan makanan yang diolah secara tradisional yang memang memerlukan waktu yang sangat lama.

Namu, membuka kembali tentang wawasan bahwa realita sudah sangat cepat sekali dan kebutuhan manusia untuk tahapan konsumsi belum terkejar dan sebanding dengan proses karena minimnya sumber daya, apakah teknologi canggih bisa menyeimbangkan kebutuhan tanpa merusak lingkungan ? Mari berkontemplasi sejenak.

Pada tahun 1986, Carlo Petrini (Presiden Gerakan Slow Food) mengorganisir protes melawan pembangunan McDonald's di Spanish Steps, Roma. Dengan mangkuk penne (pasta seperti tabung dan lancip), para pengunjuk rasa membela keragaman makanan dunia.

Tindakan simbolis ini menginspirasi gerakan Slow Food. Tiga tahun kemudian, delegasi dari 15 negara berkumpul di Paris untuk melindungi warisan makanan dunia. Slow Food tumbuh menjadi organisasi global yang merayakan tradisi makanan di 40+ negara, termasuk AS.

Di bawah kepemimpinan Carlo Petrini, Slow Food menentang nilai makanan cepat saji yang mengancam homogenisasi dan industrialisasi makanan. Mereka mengingatkan bahwa sumber daya terbatas dan kita harus menolak budaya pemakluman.

Slow Food mengajarkan bahwa makan membutuhkan waktu, dan penting untuk mengetahui asal-usul makanan kita. Makanan sehari-hari dapat menghubungkan kita dengan alam dan tempat tinggal kita.

Memasak di rumah membangkitkan imajinasi dan mendidik indera setiap manusia. Ritual memasak dan makan bersama-sama menjadi dasar kehidupan keluarga dan komunitas.

Slow Food mengajarkan nilai-nilai penting seperti : belas kasihan, keindahan, hubungan komunitas, dan sensualitas. Di Amerika, revolusi dalam cara bagaimana kita makan terjadi dengan adanya pasar petani dan ketersediaan makanan organik yang semakin luas.

Buku ini ditulis oleh Carlo Petrini dengan secara lantang mengartikulasikan misi dalam Revolusi Makanan Lezat namun tidak meninggalkan luka, seperti itu jika dimetaforkan.

Slow Food adalah gerakan yang melibatkan ribuan orang di Italia dan seluruh dunia dan meyakini makanan merupakan bagian esensial dari kehidupan dan kualitas hidup terkait dengan kenikmatan makan yang sehat, lezat, dan beragam.

Berbeda dengan makanan cepat saji yang terburu-buru dan standar, Slow Food memberikan pentingnya memberi makan dengan mempelajari dan menikmati keragaman resep dan rasa, menghormati tempat dan orang yang memproduksi makanan, serta menghormati ritme musim dan pertemuan manusia.

Slow Food menawarkan kesadaran, tanggung jawab, pengetahuan, dan kesempatan pembangunan bagi daerah yang kurang berkembang.

Slow Food juga mendorong pendidikan rasa dan perlindungan terhadap keanekaragaman hayati. Buku ini juga menceritakan berbagai inisiatif-inisiatif yang telah dilakukan untuk melindungi pertanian tradisional dan jenis makanan tertentu. Pada intinya, Slow Food menekankan tanggung jawab, pengetahuan, dan kenikmatan sebagai fondasi strategi mereka dalam pelestarian.

Gerakan Slow Food dimulai di Italia pada tahun 1980-an dengan tujuan mempertahankan kenikmatan makanan di tengah kehidupan yang semakin cepat dan makanan yang semakin terstandarisasi.

Gerakan ini tumbuh dan dibagikan di seluruh dunia, dengan perkembangan pesat di Amerika Serikat. Di tengah tantangan globalisasi dan kompleksitas, Slow Food menawarkan cara untuk meningkatkan kekayaan rasa dan kepuasan dalam hidup kita.

Ini juga merupakan cara untuk menghadapi masa depan yang penuh dengan tantangan. Gerakan ini mengajarkan pentingnya memahami makanan dan menikmati keanekaragaman rasa, serta bertanggung jawab terhadap kesehatan dan lingkungan.

Beberapa kasus dalam buku ini :
Kasus pertama - Di Prancis, adanya kompleksitas teritorial di daerah Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace, dan Champagne. Sistem produksi dan komunikasi yang terorganisir dengan baik memungkinkan Prancis "menjual" citra yang kompleks melalui sejarah, anggur, masakan, dan gaya penerimaan. Sebagai orang Italia, hal ini memang mengesankan, dan harus siap menghadapi perkembangan industri anggur yang pesat seperti di California.

Kasus kedua - Inisiatif lainnya yang segera menyusul adalah "Agrarian Assemblies" dan "Wine Conventions". Agrarian Assemblies bertujuan menjaga petani tetap terhubung dengan perkembangan budaya, sementara Wine Conventions menciptakan hubungan baru antara : konsumen, produk, pembuat, dan wilayah tersebut. Pada awalnya, anggur menjadi barang mewah yang menarik perhatian banyak penggemar. Namun, skandal pemalsuan anggur pada tahun 1986 mengubah segalanya. Dengan kematian dan keracunan yang terjadi, perubahan radikal dalam industri anggur menjadi suatu keharusan, mengakhiri kebiasaan buruk dan menciptakan langkah baru dalam hubungan antara Arcigola Slow Food dan pembuatan anggur.

Intisari buku ini menyampaikan makna tentang pentingnya makanan yang berkualitas, kesadaran akan sumber makanan, dan menikmati makanan dengan penuh kesadaran, Gerakan Slow Food, yang menentang makanan cepat saji dan mempromosikan kesadaran, tanggung jawab, dan keberagaman dalam makanan. Ia juga mengilustrasikan bagaimana gerakan ini berkembang di Italia dan di seluruh dunia, dan betapa pentingnya menjaga keanekaragaman budaya dan alam dalam sistem pangan.

Sekilas tentang penulis yaitu Carlo Petrini merupakan Presiden gerakan Slow Food, seorang aktivis, penulis, dan ahli makanan yang mengadvokasi keberagaman budaya makanan, keadilan sosial, dan keberlanjutan lingkungan. Petrini memiliki pandangan bahwa makanan dan masyarakat bisa menginspirasi perubahan menuju pola makan yang lebih baik dan kesadaran akan nilai-nilai manusia yang penting.

Hatur nuhun.
Profile Image for Colleen.
1,488 reviews18 followers
August 9, 2015
This wasn't entirely what I expected. It felt a bit like the "about us" section of a website got too long so they put it into a small book? I think I expected more about the what's and why's of slow food as opposed to a history of the slow food organization.
Profile Image for Colin.
169 reviews
February 1, 2021
A short treatise on the Slow Food Movement that was fairly enjoyable. I was admittedly expecting it to be a little less Italy-centric and more of a general speech on the importance of the Slow Food mindset.
Petrini speaks poetically of the importance of traveling mindfully, learning where your food comes from and how it's produced, learning to live differently, and how to redefine pleasure.
For me, the book just doesn't connect in that while the broad strokes are global, the vast majority is spent waxing lyrical on the idiosyncrasies of tiny regions of Italy and the depth of its wines; it's hard to mentally translate the ideals espoused to somewhere like Kansas, Iowa, or even New York City. Maybe if I'd experienced Italy, it'd click better.
In brief: good message, a little haughty.
Profile Image for Helen.
1,279 reviews25 followers
August 11, 2018
Interesting for the background on the Slow Food movement. It's a bit polemical in places and it doesn't really answer its own question (how to balance the promotion of good local food without destroying the concept by attracting too much demand, either through tourism or mass distribution). It's quite a short book but not particularly easy to read, and of course it is perhaps out of date on recent developments by now. Good for an overview of the history of the movement and its aims though.
Profile Image for Andrea.
10 reviews4 followers
July 28, 2008
The book has really interesting thoughts. I gave it four stars though, because it is not easy to read it - it is not like a novel. The essence of the organization of Slow Food is summed up in this little book, which proposes the importance of consuming high-quality regional foods, which are often hand-crafted or produced in smaller amounts. This helps the environment, keeps bio-diversity, provides jobs for many people.
I picked the book from the library shelf because I've just finished the Fast Food Nation recently, and the opposite name caught my eyes. I recommend this book for reading. I find it good to know about this organization, its aims and goals, its principles. I'm even trying to incoprorate its ideas in my life, in my own eating habits.
29 reviews5 followers
July 16, 2008
Later I will write a more complete review of this book. It is full of food for thought (if you will pardon the pun), albeit mixed in with some rather odd philosophical and political contradictions. In general Petrini is right. It is just that the movement is a little confused at times, part of this due to ideas of politics that have not really made sense for several decades, yet, which persist in lingering to the current day. Part of what is missing is a philosophy of the human person, and that is the key to filling in the bits of archaic politics.

Ironically, I don't have time right now to do a proper review of this very important book. I gotta eat and run. But I will definitely be back at it, as it is crucial reading for anyone with an interest in food.
Profile Image for Christina.
19 reviews11 followers
June 4, 2014
I love what Slow Food stands for and is, but I wouldn't recommend this book as a first step to learn about it. It's at too high of a level (the voice hovers between an academic and philosopher) and assumes too much fluency in food studies (at the level of sustainability, ecology, and food justice) to make it a welcoming introduction into the topic. If you're already on the same page, however, it's a good resource to learn the catalysts for the Slow Food movement and its principles.
Profile Image for melissa .
10 reviews
June 24, 2008
i am not yet in the position to live my life the way i want to. that's what i learned from this book. i covet the luxury of being able to afford locally-grown, organic foods and then being able to truly enoy them at my table rather than inhale them before bathtime. that being said, i do appreciate that this book offers ways to aspire to a slow food way of life, and so i aspire...
Profile Image for Araby42.
75 reviews
November 24, 2011
Interesting discussion about elements of Slow Food with which I was unfamiiar, such as the Ark and the Presidia. However, eye-bleedingly boring at times, made worse by my familiarity with many of the concepts behind Slow Food. A good, if boring, introduction to Slow Food.
Profile Image for Mckinley.
10k reviews83 followers
August 6, 2016
Overview of the Slow Food movement which started in Italy decades ago. 4 themes: 1. study food culture 2. preserve agricultural heritage 3. protect consumer and producer 4. research pleasure of gastronomy. So book is mostly about those points in a more academic than lay sort of way.
Profile Image for Pat Loughery.
401 reviews44 followers
August 6, 2015
This is a good history of the very beginning of the slow food movement in Italy. However, it really is only that. If you want more depth or breadth about the slow movement in general, or slow food, this isn't the best place to find it.
Profile Image for Steve.
1,451 reviews102 followers
April 29, 2016
This wasn't quite what I expected, based on the title, which suggested something more to do with the culture of food and eating. The book is actually about the story of the slow food movement as it developed in Italy in the 1990s.
Profile Image for Denise.
3 reviews
October 8, 2007
all about savoring, conviviality, the stuff life is made of..
Profile Image for Jess.
14 reviews3 followers
March 6, 2008
learn about the slow food movement, begun in italy. interesting perspective, persuasive argument, but clearly biased against globalization and the mainstream american lifestyle.
Profile Image for Maren Tomblin.
2 reviews
April 14, 2008
Kind of boring, but a good account of how the slow food movement began and was organized in Italy.
Profile Image for David.
4 reviews
September 17, 2008
I guess it says something for pop culture when so much of this now feels rote.
Profile Image for Angie.
296 reviews7 followers
October 31, 2016
Impractical for those without time and especially money. You cannot change the world by ignoring the economic side of the problem.
30 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2009
the concept is good, the book is boring.
35 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2011
I enjoyed the discussion of the philosophies of the slow food movement, but found this to be a rather dry discussion at times. Maybe I am looking for a more romantic rendition.
11 reviews
August 12, 2016
So tedious I downloaded this app just to complain about it.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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