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Beef: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World
Andrew Rimas and Evan D.G. Fraser have joined together to tell the remarkable story of the noble cow in The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World. In the bestselling tradition of Cod and Salt comes a lively history of our ongoing relationship with an animal that we have worked alongside, consumed, and even worshipped for thousands of years. The history of the cow is both surprising and fascinating, and Beef offers a unique overview of cattle yesterday, today, and tomorrow—from adoration to breeding to braising; from ancient Mediterranean bullfight rings to African villages to American stockyards—complete with amazing facts and trivia, wonderful recipes, and an important warning for the future of beef production.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
8 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Rimas
4 books4 followersAndrew Rimas lives with his wife and children in Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 10, 2023
Well written but not a thrill-a-minute topic. More interesting than the history of bread.
March 2, 2009
Meh. That's the best I can come up with. Though, to be fair, I don't exactly know what I was expecting. I typically do not like novels written by journalists, and this was no exception. While well written, much of the anecdotes and armchair anthropology seemed to be largely filler. The whole thing could have been a nice National Geographic piece. And even given the 200+ pages, I feel like the reader only gets hints at very intriguing topics each worthy of its own book. Like being allowed to smell the grilling steak without getting to see or taste it.
Not as witty and engaging as Pollan (alas, another journalist turned author), and not as intensely researched as Paul Roberts (The End of Food), "Beef" does manage perhaps to cultivate a sense of appreciation for cattle in the reader. Rimas and Fraser wimp out when it comes to offering novel ideas to address potential problems with the current beef and dairy industries without really citing from the growing body of work that is attempting to do so.
I can only assume then that the intended audience are those who know absolutely nothing about cattle and don't care to know much more about them other than their cultural significance (to the West anyway, and to the Masai).
My patience was really only tried this once from page 136:
"The center of much of the morning's excitement was a towering bull the color of Marquinia marble... 'It's a crossbreed' [Jerry:] said, a hungry glimmer flashing across his eyes... It was truly a glorious cow."
Okay guys, I know "cow" has become the colloquial term for "cattle", but when you're writing a book called "Beef" you need to get it right. A bull is not a cow. That's as crazy as... well... tits on a bull.
Not as witty and engaging as Pollan (alas, another journalist turned author), and not as intensely researched as Paul Roberts (The End of Food), "Beef" does manage perhaps to cultivate a sense of appreciation for cattle in the reader. Rimas and Fraser wimp out when it comes to offering novel ideas to address potential problems with the current beef and dairy industries without really citing from the growing body of work that is attempting to do so.
I can only assume then that the intended audience are those who know absolutely nothing about cattle and don't care to know much more about them other than their cultural significance (to the West anyway, and to the Masai).
My patience was really only tried this once from page 136:
"The center of much of the morning's excitement was a towering bull the color of Marquinia marble... 'It's a crossbreed' [Jerry:] said, a hungry glimmer flashing across his eyes... It was truly a glorious cow."
Okay guys, I know "cow" has become the colloquial term for "cattle", but when you're writing a book called "Beef" you need to get it right. A bull is not a cow. That's as crazy as... well... tits on a bull.
March 16, 2010
I confess, I'm slow to learn about GoodReads and have just created an account. As the author of this book, I'd be thrilled to engage in the ideas and respond to criticism. If anyone is interested, feel free to join my facebook group (Evan D.G. Fraser and Andrew Rimas: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...). Also, Andrew (the co-author) and I have a new book coming out this summer called Empires of Food: Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations
Empires of Food: Why Civilization Revolves Around the Dinner Table
Regards,
Evan Fraser
Empires of Food: Why Civilization Revolves Around the Dinner Table
Regards,
Evan Fraser
August 28, 2010
Great history, great facts, but no continuity. It reads like a blog archive, not like a book.
June 3, 2017
The historical part of the book is well researched and amusing to read. It is too bad the authors are not familiar with either the beef industry or the dairy industry in its current form and make many errors that are obvious to cattle people but not likely to the layperson. It also show cases their biases against modern farming as they seem to think farms should all look like 1950s calendar versions of Pennsylvania dairy farms. Also they throw around words like GMOs, antibiotics, pesticides etc as though they knew what they meant and how they are used.
I do agree with their final conclusions, though. Grazing animals are meant to be grazed and as Allan Savory has pointed out time after time, unless we have more grazing animals, properly managed, we cannot hope to save the planet.
For a better history of the meat and milk industry, I would suggest Cattle: An Informal Social History. The author is quite knowledgeable and together both books make a contribution to our understanding of the livestock industry.
I do agree with their final conclusions, though. Grazing animals are meant to be grazed and as Allan Savory has pointed out time after time, unless we have more grazing animals, properly managed, we cannot hope to save the planet.
For a better history of the meat and milk industry, I would suggest Cattle: An Informal Social History. The author is quite knowledgeable and together both books make a contribution to our understanding of the livestock industry.
February 25, 2024
Andrew Rimas and Evan Fraser have written an odd book, part a history of cattle around the world and through time, and part a personal journey to places selected to illustrate their feelings about cattle and the people who tend them. They contend that grass and cattle evolved together and in that way influenced climate, vegetation, and the real estate sought by humans. They also argue that humans and cattle evolved together, each dependent upon the other for the basics of their livelihoods. They build an interesting thesis and sprinkle it with examples drawn from their travels in Africa, India, Europe, and America. They also offer culinary insights and a few recipes for how people have used beef and milk. But I was disappointed in the book. I had to tease out the history from pages of personal experiences, poetry, legends, and Biblical references. By the end of the book, wherein they say cattle will go the way of the dodo bird, I found the authors' denigrating opinion of cattle herders to be offensive.
November 12, 2019
I wanted it to be, you know, beefier. I wanted more history, less flowery language. I wanted more of a discussion of how beef farts threaten our planet and how our current situation came to be.
I also got annoyed at the number of times that examples of how beef fit into the historical context were truncated. Like, Hemingway told a "very funny" anecdote, but readers weren't let in on the joke. Haha. Moving on.
I also got annoyed at the number of times that examples of how beef fit into the historical context were truncated. Like, Hemingway told a "very funny" anecdote, but readers weren't let in on the joke. Haha. Moving on.
February 10, 2014
"Imagine our world without cattle, and you're not imagining our world." Great start to a book about beef!
Throughout the ages the cow has been an incredible bargain for the bit of grass it consumes, "They pulled loads, they made milk, and when they could do no more, they gave up their bones to the stew pot."
This book is a great history of beef and the cow/bull it came from. Andrew Rimas and Evan D.G.Fraser take you on an historical trip including Spain and their love of the bullfights, the Masai and their hunt for the animal, "A Masai would die to take a cow." and then on to Mexico and Holland. And the cow in mythology, Io, Europa, Odysseus.
The Dutch had the clever idea of clover farming and selective breeding which led to the best milk cows ever. And in the 18th century Robert Bakewell bred the perfect beef cow in England.
A really nice pause in the book is the "culinary interludes" where you find recipes from all over the world from all periods of time, Mithraic Dinner with Meatballs, Prophecy Broth, Steak Tartare, even the All American hamburger.
The one thing I did not like was the first 29 pages of evolution and the supposition of what may or may not have happened. That little bit is easily skipped and on to the real and substantiated history of beef!
Throughout the ages the cow has been an incredible bargain for the bit of grass it consumes, "They pulled loads, they made milk, and when they could do no more, they gave up their bones to the stew pot."
This book is a great history of beef and the cow/bull it came from. Andrew Rimas and Evan D.G.Fraser take you on an historical trip including Spain and their love of the bullfights, the Masai and their hunt for the animal, "A Masai would die to take a cow." and then on to Mexico and Holland. And the cow in mythology, Io, Europa, Odysseus.
The Dutch had the clever idea of clover farming and selective breeding which led to the best milk cows ever. And in the 18th century Robert Bakewell bred the perfect beef cow in England.
A really nice pause in the book is the "culinary interludes" where you find recipes from all over the world from all periods of time, Mithraic Dinner with Meatballs, Prophecy Broth, Steak Tartare, even the All American hamburger.
The one thing I did not like was the first 29 pages of evolution and the supposition of what may or may not have happened. That little bit is easily skipped and on to the real and substantiated history of beef!
February 16, 2016
Considering my job as an Eco-Farmers, I am rather obsessed with the food industry. What it was, is, & should be. Usually I find these types of nonfiction books fascinating. Not so with this book. This was a mind-numbingly boring read that I couldn't wait to get over with so I could move onto something else.
This book reminded me of the dull history books in High School, informative, useful, & mind numbing. Don't purchase this if you are looking for an entertaining read. If you need something for educational purposes, that is a different matter entirely. If you or you're child is doing a book report of the history of beef, this is definitely one you want to add to your reading list, especially if you are looking to do a report on the Masai. The Masai are marbled (pun intended) throughout the entire book. 'Beef' literally starts & ends with the Masai.
An interesting & pleasant surprise are all of the "culinary interludes" these are recipes mainly for beef dishes but some are for cheese as well, covering both food uses for cattle. These interludes coincide with the topic being discussed, so it fits in rather nicely.
Overall this is not a bad book, it is just written in a way that doesn't hold ones attention.
This book reminded me of the dull history books in High School, informative, useful, & mind numbing. Don't purchase this if you are looking for an entertaining read. If you need something for educational purposes, that is a different matter entirely. If you or you're child is doing a book report of the history of beef, this is definitely one you want to add to your reading list, especially if you are looking to do a report on the Masai. The Masai are marbled (pun intended) throughout the entire book. 'Beef' literally starts & ends with the Masai.
An interesting & pleasant surprise are all of the "culinary interludes" these are recipes mainly for beef dishes but some are for cheese as well, covering both food uses for cattle. These interludes coincide with the topic being discussed, so it fits in rather nicely.
Overall this is not a bad book, it is just written in a way that doesn't hold ones attention.
June 19, 2009
I'm a total sucker for how-(fill in any element from the periodic table, groundbreaking invention, animal)-changed-the-world-as-we-know-it books. This wasn't one of the better ones, but I liked some things about it.
One of the authors (I'm not sure which), could be quite lyrical in describing cattle and the people who work with them -- quite amusing, sometimes. But the book seemed to jump all over the place, not really alighting and delving into any on aspect of cattle. It almost looks like someone put these guys together to write a book -- some of it feels a little forced. Another square-peg/round-hole feature was the "culinary interludes" interspersed throughout the book. These not-quite-recipes were rather jarring and didn't really need to be here.
An excellent idea, and a good book filled with lots of tidbits on a wide range of topics, but in my opinion it never quite, um, takes the bull by the horns.
One of the authors (I'm not sure which), could be quite lyrical in describing cattle and the people who work with them -- quite amusing, sometimes. But the book seemed to jump all over the place, not really alighting and delving into any on aspect of cattle. It almost looks like someone put these guys together to write a book -- some of it feels a little forced. Another square-peg/round-hole feature was the "culinary interludes" interspersed throughout the book. These not-quite-recipes were rather jarring and didn't really need to be here.
An excellent idea, and a good book filled with lots of tidbits on a wide range of topics, but in my opinion it never quite, um, takes the bull by the horns.
October 28, 2013
Disappointment is really all I have to say. I thought it was going to be more than it was. The first 100 pages are hard to get through as it was the early years of cows history. I think it spent too much time on that. It was the last 100 pages that were more interesting to me as it was closer to this century. I thought it would have gone more into what is happening today with shifts of organic and more sustainable practices are being looked at or the problems with these feed pen practices.
The book is very choppy. The stories were all over the place it seemed. I did like the culinary interludes. It helped break up some of the mundane parts.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is looking for modern concerns. If you want to learn the history of the cow then this is a book to consider.
The book is very choppy. The stories were all over the place it seemed. I did like the culinary interludes. It helped break up some of the mundane parts.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is looking for modern concerns. If you want to learn the history of the cow then this is a book to consider.
January 25, 2009
Take a rambling long ride from the times of our stone-age ancestors who domesticated wild cattle, to the modern Masai tribesmen who struggle to keep their stone-age culture alive. Along the way you can run with the bulls in Spain, make cheese with medieval monks, and import cattle into the New World with conquistadors. Be sure to rest a spell and try a new recipe or two, from the basic Rib Eye Steak to Homeric Roast Beef, Cheddar, Steak Tartar, and of course: Beef Jerky.
August 19, 2011
The cow is truly an interesting and at times quite fascinating animal. The rise of beef consumption has had a direct impact on our planet and it is interesting to read just how much the humble bovine has shaped our fair planet. Unfortunately, I found the culinary interludes slightly irritating. I think I understand what the author was trying to do with these interludes, but for me, it broke up the flow of the book and made me gag slightly.
June 17, 2009
The book is a bit rambling. Has several good sections on the history of beef domestication, but never really pulled together. The chapter on the bull industry supporting the Spanish bull fights was interesting. My standard for this sort of book is still, Pig Perfect : Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them.
May 5, 2011
The truth of the matter is that I skimmed the last half of the book. This isn't really anything to do with the book. I just realized after about a hundred pages that I didn't really care that much about beef to read a hundred more. The book seemed fairly well-written, it just didn't have the spark that would keep me reading further.
March 11, 2009
Among (lots of) other things, I learned how to make cheddar cheese.
February 1, 2010
Extremely interesting. Rimas and Fraser walk through history with the cow!
April 2, 2010
Very informative and readable account of the domestication of cattle through the ages. I really enjoyed it.
December 23, 2011
There's a couple of chuckles to be had in here. It's a light, afternoon read but not much beyond that.
October 12, 2012
3.5 is more like it. Entertaining overview, but topic could use more depth.
March 24, 2014
Demasiada poesía y romance.
May 5, 2016
Moo. Mooooooo
November 10, 2016
Where's the beef?
January 28, 2016
Very educational, regardless of how you feel about eating meat.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews