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How We Eat: The Brave New World of Food and Drink
An “eye-opening” ( Kirkus Reviews ) and timely exploration of how our food—from where it’s grown to how we buy it—is in the midst of a transformation, showing how this is our chance to do better, for us, for our children, and for our planet, from a global expert on consumer behavior and bestselling author of Why We Buy .
Our food system is undergoing a total transformation that impacts how we produce, get, and consume our food. Market researcher and bestselling author Paco Underhill—hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a Sherlock Holmes for retailers”—reveals where our eating and drinking lives are heading in his “delectable” (Michael Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 740 Park ) book, How We Eat .
In this upbeat, hopeful, and witty approach, How We Eat reveals the future of food in surprising ways. Go to the heart of New York City where a popular farmer’s market signifies how the city is getting country-fied, or to cool Brooklyn neighborhoods with rooftop farms. Explore the dreaded supermarket parking lot as the hub of innovation for grocery stores’ futures, where they can grow their own food and host community events. Learn how marijuana farmers, who have been using artificial light to grow a crop for years, have developed a playbook so mainstream merchants like Walmart and farmers across the world can grow food in an uncertain future.
Paco Underhill is the expert behind the most prominent brands, consumer habits, and market trends and the author of multiple highly acclaimed books, including Why We Buy . In How We Eat , he shows how food intersects with every major battle we face today, from political and environmental to economic and racial, and invites you to the market to discover more.
Our food system is undergoing a total transformation that impacts how we produce, get, and consume our food. Market researcher and bestselling author Paco Underhill—hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a Sherlock Holmes for retailers”—reveals where our eating and drinking lives are heading in his “delectable” (Michael Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 740 Park ) book, How We Eat .
In this upbeat, hopeful, and witty approach, How We Eat reveals the future of food in surprising ways. Go to the heart of New York City where a popular farmer’s market signifies how the city is getting country-fied, or to cool Brooklyn neighborhoods with rooftop farms. Explore the dreaded supermarket parking lot as the hub of innovation for grocery stores’ futures, where they can grow their own food and host community events. Learn how marijuana farmers, who have been using artificial light to grow a crop for years, have developed a playbook so mainstream merchants like Walmart and farmers across the world can grow food in an uncertain future.
Paco Underhill is the expert behind the most prominent brands, consumer habits, and market trends and the author of multiple highly acclaimed books, including Why We Buy . In How We Eat , he shows how food intersects with every major battle we face today, from political and environmental to economic and racial, and invites you to the market to discover more.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published January 4, 2022
51 people are currently reading
720 people want to read
About the author
Paco Underhill
7 books111 followersUnderhill has spent more than 25 years conducting research on the different aspects of shopping behavior, earning his status as a leading expert and pioneer in the field. Paco helps companies understand what motivates the behaviors of today’s consumer. His research shows how today’s retail world is ruled by factors such as gender, “trial and touch” and human anatomy. He is an insightful and captivating speaker, who frequently presents to trade associations and professional groups about the methodology and findings of his research.
Underhill and Envirosell have been profiled by major publications, such as, The New Yorker, Fortune, Fast Company, Business Week and Smithsonian Magazine, and have been featured on ABC’s 20/20, and CBS’s 48 Hours. Paco is a regular contributor to NPR and BBC Radio. His columns and editorials have appeared in the New York Times, London Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Christian Science Monitor. His first book, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping has been published in twenty-six languages, and has sold more copies than any other retail book in history. His second book, entitled Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping, was released in February 2004 by Simon & Schuster.
Underhill and Envirosell have been profiled by major publications, such as, The New Yorker, Fortune, Fast Company, Business Week and Smithsonian Magazine, and have been featured on ABC’s 20/20, and CBS’s 48 Hours. Paco is a regular contributor to NPR and BBC Radio. His columns and editorials have appeared in the New York Times, London Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Christian Science Monitor. His first book, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping has been published in twenty-six languages, and has sold more copies than any other retail book in history. His second book, entitled Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping, was released in February 2004 by Simon & Schuster.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
January 21, 2022
Overall, How We Eat has many interesting tidbits about grocery stores and food supply. My biggest complaint was that Underhill didn't do a good job tying all his observations into one coherent narrative. Most of the time, it felt like "oh here's one thing" and "oh here's another thing." I learned a bunch of trivia, but not really a full picture of the "brave new world of food and drink," as the subtitle so boldly advertised.
December 21, 2021
This was a fascinating look at various aspects of the food we eat and how we choose it. Broader than Secret Life of Groceries, this one also explored eating out and how food is marketed to us rather than the supply chain aspect of eating. It also looked at new ways of shopping for food and growing food. Very interesting and engaging.
March 24, 2022
Disorganized and anecdotal. A waste of time and a waste of the publisher's money.
Congratulations, Mr. Underhill, for convincing someone to pay for transcripts of your conversations. We should all be so lucky.
Congratulations, Mr. Underhill, for convincing someone to pay for transcripts of your conversations. We should all be so lucky.
March 7, 2023
3 ⭐️ I love anything to do with food so the opportunity to learn more about our food system, where it has been and where it is going, sounded right up my alley.
I enjoyed the interesting facts about food supply and grocery stores that Underhill shared, but the anecdotal nature of this book wasn’t for me. My interest began to wane about half way through, as it felt like Underhill was regurgitating transcripts and struggling to synthesize the research. In the end, I did appreciate the worthwhile facts shared and poignant questions posed that caused me think about how we all buy and eat our food — for that reason I would recommend it to others!
I enjoyed the interesting facts about food supply and grocery stores that Underhill shared, but the anecdotal nature of this book wasn’t for me. My interest began to wane about half way through, as it felt like Underhill was regurgitating transcripts and struggling to synthesize the research. In the end, I did appreciate the worthwhile facts shared and poignant questions posed that caused me think about how we all buy and eat our food — for that reason I would recommend it to others!
January 23, 2022
3.5 stars. I found the parts about how the shopping experience is set up and gets to markets to be interesting but at points the book seemed to lose its way especially in the middle and end.
February 2, 2022
Paco!
He's so good. If you haven't given much thought to the whys of food shopping, this book is a good place to begin. And if you're up for further reading, pick up The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr.
He's so good. If you haven't given much thought to the whys of food shopping, this book is a good place to begin. And if you're up for further reading, pick up The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr.
January 20, 2022
The book starts very promising on grocery retail but drifts into mediocrity when it starts to print page upon page dialogues to illustrate a point. It talks a lot about shifts on the demand side but lacks a view on the changes on the supply side almost completely.
When it comes to changes on How we eat, this feels not timely at all.
When it comes to changes on How we eat, this feels not timely at all.
March 2, 2022
How We Eat~~~
Paco Underhill's 2022 book, How We Eat: The Brave New World of Food and Drink may make you think of Aldous Huxey's classic novel Brave New World, but I promise you he doesn't talk about a frightening new drug called soma that everybody's hooked on. Honestly, a case could be made that way too many of us are hooked on opioids, which is tragic, or on cannabis, which might be more similar to soma and yet isn't addictive. His book is instead about the present and future consumption of food and drink.
The least interesting chapter for me was about our love of alcohol and how every place offers libations, including movie theaters and airports. I can't see public libraries following the trend to offer food or drink. I would have rather heard that places would offer chilled water in the future instead.
Twenty percent of the book had to be rewritten because of how the pandemic has changed our social and culinary habits.
Underhill has been studying and writing about our food and drink choices around the world for decades. He's been in supermarkets on every continent and major city. Often he checks out Farmer's Markets, making me anxious for my local one to begin. The locally-grown food industry has grown significantly and will continue to do so everywhere.
While he talks about the problems of supermarket design, he says it won't completely go away as online grocery shopping keeps becoming more popular. Picking out produce is much more satisfying than relying on a stranger or robot.
I was intrigued to hear that grocery store parking lots will soon offer greenhouses where you can choose your growing plant food.
He interviewed many people at the forefront of what's going on in the changing food industry, including someone training hydroponic farmers and providing great produce at a fraction of the resources and with much more to offer a wasteful, warming, hungry world. Also a woman who knows all about Farmer's Markets and another woman I've read, Marion Nestle.
It's not a book advocating veganism, if you're wondering.
In fact, when he's talking with supermarket customers about the growing popularity in plant-based meats, they wondered why vegans need them to taste like animal meat. Great question and I have no great answer. I don't eat plant-based meat and have never wanted to. For some new vegans they need transition food or want to be social with non-vegans. I hope they don't remain junk food vegans or hooked on lab-grown meat, but you know what?
Maybe junk food is our soma. It's not so much a brave new world as it is a cowardly old world dressed up for the next party!
Paco Underhill's 2022 book, How We Eat: The Brave New World of Food and Drink may make you think of Aldous Huxey's classic novel Brave New World, but I promise you he doesn't talk about a frightening new drug called soma that everybody's hooked on. Honestly, a case could be made that way too many of us are hooked on opioids, which is tragic, or on cannabis, which might be more similar to soma and yet isn't addictive. His book is instead about the present and future consumption of food and drink.
The least interesting chapter for me was about our love of alcohol and how every place offers libations, including movie theaters and airports. I can't see public libraries following the trend to offer food or drink. I would have rather heard that places would offer chilled water in the future instead.
Twenty percent of the book had to be rewritten because of how the pandemic has changed our social and culinary habits.
Underhill has been studying and writing about our food and drink choices around the world for decades. He's been in supermarkets on every continent and major city. Often he checks out Farmer's Markets, making me anxious for my local one to begin. The locally-grown food industry has grown significantly and will continue to do so everywhere.
While he talks about the problems of supermarket design, he says it won't completely go away as online grocery shopping keeps becoming more popular. Picking out produce is much more satisfying than relying on a stranger or robot.
I was intrigued to hear that grocery store parking lots will soon offer greenhouses where you can choose your growing plant food.
He interviewed many people at the forefront of what's going on in the changing food industry, including someone training hydroponic farmers and providing great produce at a fraction of the resources and with much more to offer a wasteful, warming, hungry world. Also a woman who knows all about Farmer's Markets and another woman I've read, Marion Nestle.
It's not a book advocating veganism, if you're wondering.
In fact, when he's talking with supermarket customers about the growing popularity in plant-based meats, they wondered why vegans need them to taste like animal meat. Great question and I have no great answer. I don't eat plant-based meat and have never wanted to. For some new vegans they need transition food or want to be social with non-vegans. I hope they don't remain junk food vegans or hooked on lab-grown meat, but you know what?
Maybe junk food is our soma. It's not so much a brave new world as it is a cowardly old world dressed up for the next party!
January 15, 2022
Una muy interesante reflexión sobre cuál puede ser el futuro de las compras de comida (groceries), desde un punto de vista muy norteamericano, donde pareciera una "nueva moda" cocinar desde los ingredientes crudos (cook from scratch), que en nuestros países latinoamericanos, quiero pensar, nunca se perdió, que los mercados a cielo abierto, con productos directo desde el campesino o al menos desde un centro de acopio mayor, nunca se ha perdido.
La comparación de como se aproximan al hecho de comprar los ingredientes para preparar la comida entre países es fascinante:
Algunos comentarios que pueden sonar sexistas fuera de contexto, pero que expresan el cambio en el papel de la mujer en la cocina, en el trabajo y en su aproximación a la comida:
De lo que los compradores esperan de la experiencia de compra, cuando compran los ingredientes de su cocina:
De la necesidad de transformar la experiencia de compra, de gigantescos supermercados, almacenes verticales de comida masiva con cientos de miles de productos diferentes, a una verdadera experiencia, algo divertido y diferente:
En cualquier caso, los libros de Paco Underhill siempre son interesantes, bien escritos y entretenidos, con un punto de vista no convencional, basado en la observación, de años de observación de compradores, en todo el mundo.
La comparación de como se aproximan al hecho de comprar los ingredientes para preparar la comida entre países es fascinante:
de los italianos "And there you have it—a conversation about the future of the supermarket that begins with Calvino and ends with Dostoevsky. Just more evidence that when it comes to food, Italians really are different. But what will all this mean for the rest of the world?"
en Estados Unidos "I think people are naturally suspicious of too much innovation where food is concerned."
Algunos comentarios que pueden sonar sexistas fuera de contexto, pero que expresan el cambio en el papel de la mujer en la cocina, en el trabajo y en su aproximación a la comida:
"Whenever I go to a restaurant today, I’ll always look around to measure the gender ratio. If the diners are mostly women, you can bet that the food and atmosphere will be very good."
"But just as women were fleeing the kitchen, men were tentatively entering it."
De lo que los compradores esperan de la experiencia de compra, cuando compran los ingredientes de su cocina:
"Today, we all desire food narratives; we want to know the things we eat and drink in a way we never could (or cared to) before."
De la necesidad de transformar la experiencia de compra, de gigantescos supermercados, almacenes verticales de comida masiva con cientos de miles de productos diferentes, a una verdadera experiencia, algo divertido y diferente:
"When people consistently say they are pressed for time and want to spend less of it shopping for food, will they fall in love with stores that offer experiences instead of efficiencies? Or do we want both? Don’t we always?
En cualquier caso, los libros de Paco Underhill siempre son interesantes, bien escritos y entretenidos, con un punto de vista no convencional, basado en la observación, de años de observación de compradores, en todo el mundo.
November 29, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023
We read this for a book club and the entire group was disappointed. The author talks about doing retail research, but only provides opinions instead of facts to support his claims. Most of his examples are about New York and are not relatable to people who live in other parts of the country. Accessibility to food was not addressed and he missed and opportunity to discuss food deserts. He talks about being poor as a young man, but spends the rest of the time talking about growing up with parents who were diplomats, having staff to cook their food, and attending boarding school. The author would also make bold statements with no factual evidence and then turn it around, such as saying kitchens are basically obsolete because people don't like cooking anymore and only et fast food, but then go on to say that kitchens are the hub of the home. It felt very uninformed. The only upside was that people had very strong negative feelings about it that led to some great discussion. I would not recommend this book. For context, I am a university librarian and I worked professionally in the food industry for over a decade, so I expected the content to be more relatable.
We read this for a book club and the entire group was disappointed. The author talks about doing retail research, but only provides opinions instead of facts to support his claims. Most of his examples are about New York and are not relatable to people who live in other parts of the country. Accessibility to food was not addressed and he missed and opportunity to discuss food deserts. He talks about being poor as a young man, but spends the rest of the time talking about growing up with parents who were diplomats, having staff to cook their food, and attending boarding school. The author would also make bold statements with no factual evidence and then turn it around, such as saying kitchens are basically obsolete because people don't like cooking anymore and only et fast food, but then go on to say that kitchens are the hub of the home. It felt very uninformed. The only upside was that people had very strong negative feelings about it that led to some great discussion. I would not recommend this book. For context, I am a university librarian and I worked professionally in the food industry for over a decade, so I expected the content to be more relatable.
October 6, 2022
Fascinating and incredibly specific research about the evolution of food consumption. Half on the supermarket, half on home cooking v fast food.
Shout out to golden pantry! He doesn't say the name, but mentions how someone in GA told him that the best chicken biscuit could be found at a gas station.
Shout out to golden pantry! He doesn't say the name, but mentions how someone in GA told him that the best chicken biscuit could be found at a gas station.
August 19, 2023
Not very cohesive, had an annoying habit of bringing up new and interesting topics in the last paragraph or two of a chapter. The chapters were poorly organized and didnt connect with eachother. Guy had strange ideas about what he thought people want out of shopping, most of his ideas to improve the shopping experience sounded hellish to me. There were a few interesting statistics or pieces in each chapter, but overall not worth the read.
August 23, 2022
I did not really know what to expect from this book, but I loved everything about it!
Excellent and unique insights into consumers' interactions with food presented in an understandable manner.
Can't wait to read more by Paco Underhill.
Excellent and unique insights into consumers' interactions with food presented in an understandable manner.
Can't wait to read more by Paco Underhill.
January 14, 2022
Everyone who wants to be a conscientious eater should read this. It covers so many aspects of food acquisition from the author’s really unique perspective. I look forward to seeing some of his ideas for the future of food come to fruition.
May 14, 2022
A very thoughtful and thought provoking book from an author I have enjoyed from his first book (Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping).
September 8, 2025
Just don't
August 28, 2024
Compelling descriptions of urban farming & food sourcing changes from past to present, and future trajectory,
Sandwiched between too many anecdotes / unfounded opinions, with more disorganization in latter half.
Could be strengthened with discussion on rural markets, food insecurity & even a brief summary on criticisms of grocery tech and corporate expansion.
Paco seems like a big Walmart fan
Sandwiched between too many anecdotes / unfounded opinions, with more disorganization in latter half.
Could be strengthened with discussion on rural markets, food insecurity & even a brief summary on criticisms of grocery tech and corporate expansion.
Paco seems like a big Walmart fan
March 6, 2022
I generally enjoy Underhill's style of writing, but this time around the content felt flat for me. When I reached the acknowledgements -- where he mentions that a third of the book had to be scrapped once the pandemic rolled in circa March 2020 -- the book's datedness made sense. I expected to be introduced to start-ups and technologies that still felt in the future by decades rather than minutes (if that).
It felt rather distracting when conversations were told in a script format. Unfortunately, large swaths of the book were delivered in that manner.
It felt rather distracting when conversations were told in a script format. Unfortunately, large swaths of the book were delivered in that manner.
July 1, 2022
I wasn’t the target audience for this, but there were points that were interesting. My biggest frustration was the lack of synthesis on his research, everything felt anecdotal, especially the long running dialogs. It was fun in the one focus group chapter, but all chapters (especially the Musk one) made this lose its charm. I would like to see more sources and other background facts to mix the qual with some quant.
April 16, 2022
Most of this book was just transcriptions of conversations he had with interesting people. I wonder how it'll age. Maybe because I've got an interest in food journalism already, but nothing seemed too wild, and maybe even over stated in this book. "Food delivery will take over the world, we'll make smaller trips in the future!!" Etc
April 30, 2023
The founder of Envirosell Inc, a global research and consulting firm, and bestselling author, Paco Underhill in his new book, How We Eat elucidates how removed we as a collective humanity are from the primary source of our sustenance, food. While the elaborate and intricate process of how we produce, procure, and consume our food is undergoing, or has already undergone a paradigm shift, we blissfully continue to be oblivious of such far reaching changes that have immense and intense ramifications on our health and well-being.
The distinction between urban and rural eating is fast blurring with the consumer’s preference to source food ‘locally.’ Even in a teeming urban sprawl such as New York, could be found on a weekly basis, farmer’s markets that lure customers seeking produce that are freshly transported to the market. The onion or garlic with soil still stuck to their sides bear testimony to the freshness of a produce. Supermarkets, on the other hand, tempt shoppers with some carefully – and professionally – constructed psychological maneuvers.
At the very front of the supermarket would be displayed a dazzling array of flowers and plants. But as Underhill argues, the ‘secret in-store weapon’ of every supermarket is its alluring bakery. No olfactory nerve can escape the seductive lure of the myriad aromas wafting from the bakery and its assemblage of delicacies. The formidable troika of flowers, bakery and produce act upon our connected sense of smells and taste thereby exacerbating our proclivity to make a purchase – or two!
The bewildering choice that stares a consumer in her face is an information overload that confuses than convinces a potential purchaser. Take eggs for instance. A supermarket these days offers a bewildering choice of eggs. What once was a simple box of eggs is now a concoction of labels. “Cage-free” eggs, “free-range eggs,” “all-natural” eggs, and “gluten-free” eggs all compete with one another for a customer’s wallet. There is even a variety that boasts about its chickens having bred on a strictly “vegetarian” diet!
For the eager and the intrepid, there are provided QR codes on the packages of various products. Scanning the QR codes will at times take the consumer to a video elaborating not just on the organic sources of the ingredient and the method of their preparation or harvesting, but also enlist the services of a chef to magnanimously provide a couple of recipes which may be dished up using the product under question.
The way in which our food is being produced is also undergoing a significant transformation. Square Roots, a ‘modular farm’ in Brooklyn founded by Tobias and Kimbal Musk, the brother of Elon Musk, uses hydroponic techniques to grow various produce throughout the year with lot less land and water that is otherwise, the preserve of a conventional farm. The plants at Square Roots enjoy perfect environmental conditions, such as humidity, light, and temperature levels, all year round. Thus, replication of conditions for a particular produce grown in any part of the world can be reproduced to the “T” in a modular farm, thereby ensuring the presence and availability of even non-seasonal products at any point in time.
One of the biggest, if not the biggest changes that is apparent in the method of consumption, especially post the COVID-19 pandemic, has been the total absence of human interaction between the producer/supplier and the customer. An already app-infested world where products were delivered at the buyer’s doorstep has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Earlier, we used to at least greet the delivery personnel as he/she dropped off our orders with a smile and a wink. A well-deserved tip at times also embellished the goodwill between patron and producer. However, in a post-COVID scenario, even this bare minimum contact has come to an unfortunate end. Packages are now left in the lobby to be collected at convenient times.
“How We Eat” is a much-needed wake up call for resuming a connection between the consumer and the food that is being consumed in such a way that makes the relationship much more meaningful and fulfilling.
The distinction between urban and rural eating is fast blurring with the consumer’s preference to source food ‘locally.’ Even in a teeming urban sprawl such as New York, could be found on a weekly basis, farmer’s markets that lure customers seeking produce that are freshly transported to the market. The onion or garlic with soil still stuck to their sides bear testimony to the freshness of a produce. Supermarkets, on the other hand, tempt shoppers with some carefully – and professionally – constructed psychological maneuvers.
At the very front of the supermarket would be displayed a dazzling array of flowers and plants. But as Underhill argues, the ‘secret in-store weapon’ of every supermarket is its alluring bakery. No olfactory nerve can escape the seductive lure of the myriad aromas wafting from the bakery and its assemblage of delicacies. The formidable troika of flowers, bakery and produce act upon our connected sense of smells and taste thereby exacerbating our proclivity to make a purchase – or two!
The bewildering choice that stares a consumer in her face is an information overload that confuses than convinces a potential purchaser. Take eggs for instance. A supermarket these days offers a bewildering choice of eggs. What once was a simple box of eggs is now a concoction of labels. “Cage-free” eggs, “free-range eggs,” “all-natural” eggs, and “gluten-free” eggs all compete with one another for a customer’s wallet. There is even a variety that boasts about its chickens having bred on a strictly “vegetarian” diet!
For the eager and the intrepid, there are provided QR codes on the packages of various products. Scanning the QR codes will at times take the consumer to a video elaborating not just on the organic sources of the ingredient and the method of their preparation or harvesting, but also enlist the services of a chef to magnanimously provide a couple of recipes which may be dished up using the product under question.
The way in which our food is being produced is also undergoing a significant transformation. Square Roots, a ‘modular farm’ in Brooklyn founded by Tobias and Kimbal Musk, the brother of Elon Musk, uses hydroponic techniques to grow various produce throughout the year with lot less land and water that is otherwise, the preserve of a conventional farm. The plants at Square Roots enjoy perfect environmental conditions, such as humidity, light, and temperature levels, all year round. Thus, replication of conditions for a particular produce grown in any part of the world can be reproduced to the “T” in a modular farm, thereby ensuring the presence and availability of even non-seasonal products at any point in time.
One of the biggest, if not the biggest changes that is apparent in the method of consumption, especially post the COVID-19 pandemic, has been the total absence of human interaction between the producer/supplier and the customer. An already app-infested world where products were delivered at the buyer’s doorstep has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Earlier, we used to at least greet the delivery personnel as he/she dropped off our orders with a smile and a wink. A well-deserved tip at times also embellished the goodwill between patron and producer. However, in a post-COVID scenario, even this bare minimum contact has come to an unfortunate end. Packages are now left in the lobby to be collected at convenient times.
“How We Eat” is a much-needed wake up call for resuming a connection between the consumer and the food that is being consumed in such a way that makes the relationship much more meaningful and fulfilling.
April 12, 2023
I enjoyed the first couple of books by Paco Underhill. I learned a lot from Why we Buy that I still use in the retail side of my work today. Call of the Mall - well, I don't remember much, but I think I still found it interesting. What Women Want really disappointed me. I found that one mostly useless and he felt out of date and out of touch to me. This one falls somewhere in between. There were bits and pieces that I found interesting and others that reminded me that maybe the author is rather out of date and out of touch.
For instance, he writes about people driving through the drive through at restaurants and then pulling over to eat in the parking lot. He hypothesizes about why that might be. But his job is that kind of research, right? Why is he just hypothesizing? I don't think we saw any research about it. I also found it strange that his guess is that women eat in their cars so as not to be bothered by strange men. Rather than many other options that might contribute - them wanting peace and quiet with no screaming children, or music they didn't choose, etc. Lots of people aren't comfortable eating somewhere by themselves (or attending movies by themselves, etc) as they see that as a social activity and feel out of place or uncomfortable doing that on their own. Also, there is the fact that most fast food places are understaffed and the tables and chairs are often filthy. No mention of that.
Another thing I found odd is that in a section where they are looking at an article called 'Is the Kitchen Dead'? he discusses how millennials are three times more likely than their parents 'to eat meals made by someone else'. Which sounds like delivery, take out, meal prep etc. But if I recall, aren't there studies showing more people living in multigenerational households now? Kids who move back in with their parents after college because the housing market is ridiculous and they are weighed down by student loans, etc. So maybe someone else in the house is doing the cooking, just not them. It doesn't mean the kitchen is unused, does it? (Though if you judge by HGTV shows, everyone on there wants a giant professional grade chef's kitchen). But again, it seemed like general musing by the author and no facts.
One last oddity - there is a section about the future of grocery stores where he discusses working with an Italian client and trying to set up the store about meals - a breakfast section, etc, instead of the current set up with bread on one aisle, milk in another section, etc. And he says it failed - sales dropped. I would have liked a better look at how they set things up, and what happened after sales dropped - did they scrap everything entirely, or did they retain any changes? And what did Underhill's company learn from the experience that was useful? What were customers doing when they entered the store, what did they stop to look at, were they confused or frustrated by the set up?
Anyway, there were a few useful or interesting points in there, and it was a fairly easy read. But to stick with the food terminology - I would have liked a little more to sink my teeth into.
For instance, he writes about people driving through the drive through at restaurants and then pulling over to eat in the parking lot. He hypothesizes about why that might be. But his job is that kind of research, right? Why is he just hypothesizing? I don't think we saw any research about it. I also found it strange that his guess is that women eat in their cars so as not to be bothered by strange men. Rather than many other options that might contribute - them wanting peace and quiet with no screaming children, or music they didn't choose, etc. Lots of people aren't comfortable eating somewhere by themselves (or attending movies by themselves, etc) as they see that as a social activity and feel out of place or uncomfortable doing that on their own. Also, there is the fact that most fast food places are understaffed and the tables and chairs are often filthy. No mention of that.
Another thing I found odd is that in a section where they are looking at an article called 'Is the Kitchen Dead'? he discusses how millennials are three times more likely than their parents 'to eat meals made by someone else'. Which sounds like delivery, take out, meal prep etc. But if I recall, aren't there studies showing more people living in multigenerational households now? Kids who move back in with their parents after college because the housing market is ridiculous and they are weighed down by student loans, etc. So maybe someone else in the house is doing the cooking, just not them. It doesn't mean the kitchen is unused, does it? (Though if you judge by HGTV shows, everyone on there wants a giant professional grade chef's kitchen). But again, it seemed like general musing by the author and no facts.
One last oddity - there is a section about the future of grocery stores where he discusses working with an Italian client and trying to set up the store about meals - a breakfast section, etc, instead of the current set up with bread on one aisle, milk in another section, etc. And he says it failed - sales dropped. I would have liked a better look at how they set things up, and what happened after sales dropped - did they scrap everything entirely, or did they retain any changes? And what did Underhill's company learn from the experience that was useful? What were customers doing when they entered the store, what did they stop to look at, were they confused or frustrated by the set up?
Anyway, there were a few useful or interesting points in there, and it was a fairly easy read. But to stick with the food terminology - I would have liked a little more to sink my teeth into.
June 27, 2022
How We Eat is an imaginative take on the future of food and drink in America. As a market researcher and consumer anthropologist, Paco Underhill arguably has a unique perspective and offers shrewd observations about the micro-decisions we make as consumers at supermarkets, restaurants, and other food retailers.
In particular, I enjoyed his conversational musings about the future of supermarkets and whether the expansion of grocery delivery models in a post-pandemic world could overtake the brick-and-mortar experience of grocery shopping as we currently know it. Underhill also shares some interesting insights about supermarket design and architecture, which were eye-opening to an everyday consumer like myself.
While How We Eat has a promising start, it quickly devolves into a meandering slog, skimming the surface of different topics without any real cohesion between chapters. Underhill's interviews add credibility to his work, but the verbatim transcript format of conversations seemed completely unnecessary, detracting from the readability of the text. My biggest wish is that the chapter featuring Marion Nestle, a food and nutrition expert in a league of her own, had done more justice to her pioneering ideas in food policy and food choice.
Overall, How We Eat is a whimsical read that explores various stops along the food supply chain, but it lacks the depth and boldness needed to envision a future with more innovative and sustainable systems of food sourcing, production, manufacturing, and delivery.
In particular, I enjoyed his conversational musings about the future of supermarkets and whether the expansion of grocery delivery models in a post-pandemic world could overtake the brick-and-mortar experience of grocery shopping as we currently know it. Underhill also shares some interesting insights about supermarket design and architecture, which were eye-opening to an everyday consumer like myself.
While How We Eat has a promising start, it quickly devolves into a meandering slog, skimming the surface of different topics without any real cohesion between chapters. Underhill's interviews add credibility to his work, but the verbatim transcript format of conversations seemed completely unnecessary, detracting from the readability of the text. My biggest wish is that the chapter featuring Marion Nestle, a food and nutrition expert in a league of her own, had done more justice to her pioneering ideas in food policy and food choice.
Overall, How We Eat is a whimsical read that explores various stops along the food supply chain, but it lacks the depth and boldness needed to envision a future with more innovative and sustainable systems of food sourcing, production, manufacturing, and delivery.
February 21, 2023
I fear my expectations were too high upon picking this up; I had expected this book to focus on the science of eating and food preferences. What I got instead was the sociology of how we obtain food, as told by a corporate consultant from a market research standpoint. If you are interested in facts about how supermarkets are designed (inside and out) with a look of what we can expect/aspire to for the future, this would be the book for you.
That said, I felt that Mr Underhill used too many "We" statements when making vague generalizations about foodseeking behaviours - the entire book is rife with them. Also, this book could have been two chapters shorter, namely the chapter where he speaks to two influenceers, and the chapter where it is a round table on what people think their preferences are for the grocery store of the future. Both of these chapters were pure dunnage.
One topic that I did enjoy was the one with the Walmart quality expert, and how they discussed 'redesigning produce' in a manner without genetic modification (i.e. controling the growth conditions of cantelope to determine that they maximize the cantelope-like features).
All in all, if you want a book from people who derive their data by literlaly following and watching people while they shop, then How We Eat: The Brave New World of Food and Drink would be the read for you!
That said, I felt that Mr Underhill used too many "We" statements when making vague generalizations about foodseeking behaviours - the entire book is rife with them. Also, this book could have been two chapters shorter, namely the chapter where he speaks to two influenceers, and the chapter where it is a round table on what people think their preferences are for the grocery store of the future. Both of these chapters were pure dunnage.
One topic that I did enjoy was the one with the Walmart quality expert, and how they discussed 'redesigning produce' in a manner without genetic modification (i.e. controling the growth conditions of cantelope to determine that they maximize the cantelope-like features).
All in all, if you want a book from people who derive their data by literlaly following and watching people while they shop, then How We Eat: The Brave New World of Food and Drink would be the read for you!
March 4, 2022
This book was received as an ARC from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
Processed food has been the norm plus an issue with nutrition since the beginning of time. It's mind-blowing the ingredients used to manufacture and manipulate some of our favorite snacks, sauces, meats, and unfortunately produce. Paco Underhill did an informative and optimistic approach into tackling this issue to increase awareness to the American people. Now, there are more trends sweeping the nation like farm to table, city living like the country and growing own food saving calories and money. This book will make you not only appreciate food more but life in general.
We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
Processed food has been the norm plus an issue with nutrition since the beginning of time. It's mind-blowing the ingredients used to manufacture and manipulate some of our favorite snacks, sauces, meats, and unfortunately produce. Paco Underhill did an informative and optimistic approach into tackling this issue to increase awareness to the American people. Now, there are more trends sweeping the nation like farm to table, city living like the country and growing own food saving calories and money. This book will make you not only appreciate food more but life in general.
We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
March 2, 2023
Although not currently employed in food service, at one point in my life I did work in the accounting department of a now defunct natural foods chain, and have always had an interest in how we make, sell, and eat food. This book scratches some of that itch. Its very chatty with pages of dialogue transcriptions (or recreations of conversations). It can be amusing and interesting but sometimes a little tedious. There are some interesting observations on changing food buying and marketing habits. However, not sure what to do with it all though as a consumer. Produce might be grown in a container instead of on a farm. Ok. Women are buying more alcohol. Ok. Authenticity counts. Agree. Ok. But then what? Most of our food system doesn't feel all that authentic anyway (and its worse if you start peeling back the layers).
October 8, 2023
3.5/5 Honestly really enjoyed the anecdotal shape this book took - Paco Underhill is good at making market research entertaining. I couldn’t help but feel like his voice is very white male baby boomer-esque, attaching certain voices or opinions to other demographics(aka here’s what women want). It was a quick and easy read, and touched on a lot of relevant movement in the food world such as the local movement, food “influencers,” and food delivery. He didn’t seem to make many analyses of “patterns” as promised by the book sleeve but just had sort of an old and jaded “we’re going under” POV; that said, it was still in a lighthearted manner and overall the changing food environment and our changing behavior is such an interesting topic to read about that the observations were enough and his analyses didn’t matter too much to me anyway.
April 10, 2022
Good read, but nothing earth-shattering, especially if you're relatively well-read on U.S. food systems and markets to start. The most interesting parts that were new (for me) was the content on urban farm technology and starting references to the impact of the Covid pandemic on the food scene (starting since we're nowhere near the end yet).
What I didn't appreciate was the distinct feel of a condescending tone in the writing, particularly in the beginning chapters. And the choice of overall tone/writing style in this work makes it very very obvious how old/not quite in touch with social media the author is, in an eye-roll inducing kind of way.
What I didn't appreciate was the distinct feel of a condescending tone in the writing, particularly in the beginning chapters. And the choice of overall tone/writing style in this work makes it very very obvious how old/not quite in touch with social media the author is, in an eye-roll inducing kind of way.
September 30, 2022
Paco Underhill, the founder of Envirosell, has studied the science of shopping, the lure of retail stores, and now pointed his sights towards one of America's favorite pastimes - eating. The title might make you think this is related to the anatomical process of eating food, but it's truly about how we buy food itself, where we find places to get that food, how they grow and manufacture the food we like, and what the future has in store for us in agriculture. Interesting journey throughout, a few sections where the words went by like an army of ants - just one after another and it was at times a slog.
January 7, 2024
Somewhat insightful book about uncommon information. I can't confirm whether the information is accurate or false, as my own research isn't extensive enough, but what Paco wrote here made a lot of sense. Consumers these days are the ones getting consumed by the idea of eating wholesome food, getting misled into what is supposed to be healthy. With a dozen of contradicting articles and point of views out there, who's to say which one is true or false.
I love that down-to-earth conversations are published in this book, with bitesize food knowledge tidbits slotted in here and there, feels a bit like reading a podcast.
I love that down-to-earth conversations are published in this book, with bitesize food knowledge tidbits slotted in here and there, feels a bit like reading a podcast.
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