Nonfiction

How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America

How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America

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  • Create Date：2021-11-19 03:19:16
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Priya Fielding-Singh
  • ISBN：0316427268
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Reviews

Christianne ，

I love this book。 It opened my eyes to an essential inequality that is all around us in the U。S。The author （Priya Fielding-Singh） takes us on a journey to understand what's going on for families - especially mothers - of different income levels as they make choices about food and feed their kids。 You get to know the moms and understand why they do the things they do。It's nonfiction， but I found myself thoroughly engrossed， turning page after page to find out what would happen。 One thing I'd neve I love this book。 It opened my eyes to an essential inequality that is all around us in the U。S。The author （Priya Fielding-Singh） takes us on a journey to understand what's going on for families - especially mothers - of different income levels as they make choices about food and feed their kids。 You get to know the moms and understand why they do the things they do。It's nonfiction， but I found myself thoroughly engrossed， turning page after page to find out what would happen。 One thing I'd never thought about before was how kids' pickiness can lead to such different outcomes for families without the means to provide a second option if their kid doesn't like Option A。 How many vegetables have I thrown away because my kids wouldn't eat them？ How many times have I let my my kids make something else if they didn't like what I'd made for dinner？ Without extra money， how many times would I just give them pizza and fries because I'd know they'd eat it？ I really like how the book makes clear the love that all the moms have for their kids and their desire to do the best for them - and how all of the moms had so much in common。 Reading this book expanded my heart and made me feel more connected to humanity。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more

Erin Vogel ，

This book goes far beyond the usual explanations we’re offered for nutritional inequality， like food deserts and “poor choices。” In reading each family’s story， I could sense their trust in the author and their vulnerability in opening up their family’s homes and lives to her。 That trust was well-placed。 "How the Other Half Eats" is a must-read for those interested in food equity。 Perhaps more importantly， it's a must-read for anyone who wants a glimpse into how other families live and navigate This book goes far beyond the usual explanations we’re offered for nutritional inequality， like food deserts and “poor choices。” In reading each family’s story， I could sense their trust in the author and their vulnerability in opening up their family’s homes and lives to her。 That trust was well-placed。 "How the Other Half Eats" is a must-read for those interested in food equity。 Perhaps more importantly， it's a must-read for anyone who wants a glimpse into how other families live and navigate their priorities， relationships， and realities。 。。。more

Fanjiao ，

At first glance， the title of “How the Other Half Eats” promises a glimpse into the dietary habits of families across the United States。 While the book delivers on that promise， chronicling the daily rituals and occasional indulgences of Dr。 Fielding-Singh’s interview subjects， “How the Other Half Eats” shines in by focusing not just on how families eat， but on how they are fed。Fielding-Singh introduces us to these families not as broad categories， but as moms and dads （but really mostly moms） w At first glance， the title of “How the Other Half Eats” promises a glimpse into the dietary habits of families across the United States。 While the book delivers on that promise， chronicling the daily rituals and occasional indulgences of Dr。 Fielding-Singh’s interview subjects， “How the Other Half Eats” shines in by focusing not just on how families eat， but on how they are fed。Fielding-Singh introduces us to these families not as broad categories， but as moms and dads （but really mostly moms） who juggle the time， money， and attention they must spend to shape the way their children eat。 By immersing us into the homes of her subjects， Fielding-Singh reveals how the stakes at mealtime extend beyond the basics of nutrition and into how these women （and sometimes men） define themselves and their hopes for their children。Each chapter of the book threads the social and economic contexts of nutrition， food insecurity， and family planning as they intersect with the lives of Fielding-Singh’s research subjects。 The end result portrays these families as complicated people weighing multiple factors， many of which are not always obvious， as they try to do the best for their families。“How the Other Half Eats” is both immediately accessible and illuminating。 Even audiences well acquainted with issues around food systems and food access are likely to come away with food for thought。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

I typically don’t gravitate towards nonfiction， but this book is too important to ignore and too well-written to put down。 Sociologist Priya Fielding-Singh writes from the narrative of several families from various socioeconomic， educational， and ethno-racial backgrounds to help examine food insecurity and food choice in our country。 Throughout the book， she plants us in the homes of the families she interviews。 We then ask the questions she couldn’t ignore throughout her research。 She then work I typically don’t gravitate towards nonfiction， but this book is too important to ignore and too well-written to put down。 Sociologist Priya Fielding-Singh writes from the narrative of several families from various socioeconomic， educational， and ethno-racial backgrounds to help examine food insecurity and food choice in our country。 Throughout the book， she plants us in the homes of the families she interviews。 We then ask the questions she couldn’t ignore throughout her research。 She then works through why similar concerns across the spectrum of families from various circumstances occur。 This is a fascinating book on a topic that pertains to all: how and why we eat the way we do。 Fielding-Singh discusses how families （namely mothers） have the cards stacked against societal ideals of motherhood， how that translates to feeding their families， and importantly why this happens。 We learn that many families Field-Singh spends time with， regardless of differences in backgrounds struggle with these societal expectations。 She shares one important quality all mothers share: putting their children’s happiness and well-being before their own。 While there is so much we need to strive for as society to address these concerns， the overall message is one of compassion for mothers and the choices they make to do what’s best for their children。 As someone with no sociology background and no children of my own， I found this book still very relevant and captivating。 。。。more

Cathy ，

How the Other Half Eats is essential reading for people interested in diet disparities， American inequality， the emotions we have around food， and the challenges that parents -- especially mothers -- face in providing for their children。 Because of its universal appeal and compelling prose， I've thought about the book every day since reading it （particularly when feeding my own child）。 Fielding-Singh masterfully accomplishes the difficult task of presenting rigorous research evidence within an e How the Other Half Eats is essential reading for people interested in diet disparities， American inequality， the emotions we have around food， and the challenges that parents -- especially mothers -- face in providing for their children。 Because of its universal appeal and compelling prose， I've thought about the book every day since reading it （particularly when feeding my own child）。 Fielding-Singh masterfully accomplishes the difficult task of presenting rigorous research evidence within an engaging narrative， taking the reader along as she portrays the full humanity of her study participants。 This is the type of book I want to share with everyone in my life， from colleagues studying inequality and friends fighting for food justice to family members grappling with what it means to be a "good" mom。 。。。more

Whitney ，

Surprising， compassionate， and compelling， How the Other Half Eats presents totally new insights into the stale research on Americans’ diets and the systemic inequalities disproportionately impacting low-income families of color。 Fielding-Singh describes her in-depth， ethnographic research with a genuinely curious and open mind。 After embedding herself in the culinary lives of four distinctly different families across race， ethnicity， and socioeconomic level， Fielding-Singh suggests that these f Surprising， compassionate， and compelling， How the Other Half Eats presents totally new insights into the stale research on Americans’ diets and the systemic inequalities disproportionately impacting low-income families of color。 Fielding-Singh describes her in-depth， ethnographic research with a genuinely curious and open mind。 After embedding herself in the culinary lives of four distinctly different families across race， ethnicity， and socioeconomic level， Fielding-Singh suggests that these family’s food choices are not simply the result of cost and convenience， but in fact illustrate the various meanings ascribed to food in their lives。Alternating between deeply personal stories and broader research， How the Other Half Eats will make you think not only about the inequities in our country’s diets but about the food on your own plate - how it got there and why。 A critical and timely book that will stay with you - in the grocery store， at the dinner table， in the Starbucks line - long after you’re done。 。。。more

JuFen Hsu ，

In the research on understanding poverty and nutrition， much has been written about needing more grocery stores that sell fresh produce in poor neighborhoods， so people can buy nutritious food。 This Field of Dreams concept of “If you build it， he will come” has been proven to be an incomplete account。 Data exists that show providing access to fresh produce in food deserts does not improve nutrition in low-income families。 As a sociologist， Priya Fielding-Singh （PFS） writes a compelling story in In the research on understanding poverty and nutrition， much has been written about needing more grocery stores that sell fresh produce in poor neighborhoods， so people can buy nutritious food。 This Field of Dreams concept of “If you build it， he will come” has been proven to be an incomplete account。 Data exists that show providing access to fresh produce in food deserts does not improve nutrition in low-income families。 As a sociologist， Priya Fielding-Singh （PFS） writes a compelling story in her book How the Other Half Eats about why access is insufficient。 Food choices are complex decisions made by mothers， the majority feeders for their families。 PFS is a captivating storyteller， shining a light on why the over-simplistic policy of eliminating food deserts to solve poor nutrition in impoverished neighborhoods is ineffective。 Two points particularly resonated with me。 First， PFS argues that although society views poor mothers as bad mothers because they feed their children junk food， her research says otherwise。 Poor mothers say ‘yes’ to that yummy bag of chips or fast food for their children because they are good mothers who love their children and want them to be happy。 Cash-strapped mothers say ‘yes’ to bring a smile to their children’s faces or to stop the repetitive demands because more often than not， these mothers are saying ‘no’ to their requests for clothes， trips， and other bigger ticket items。 We also live in a world where processed foods are engineered and marketed to be tastier than more nutritious alternatives， so children will loudly demand such items。 No parent wants to constantly say ‘no’ to their children。 Another point that PFS makes is that even if a mother wants to provide a more nutritious meal for their children， a more nutritious meal requires substantial preparation time and energy。 More women than ever need to earn a paycheck to support their family （with or without a partner）， but food preparation and caring for their children fall disproportionately on working mothers。 It saves time to buy fast-food and other ready-made meals。 Some ready-made meals can be more nutritious， but it takes time to train children to prefer healthier choices， and time is at a premium for working mothers。 I recommend any individual in public policy， government or non-profit in the field of health and poverty to read this insightful book to understand that access to fresh produce and more nutritious food is not enough to help families eat healthier and more nutritious food。 Policies that do not address reasons that mothers fall into poverty to begin with cannot effectively address food choices made by these mothers。 。。。more

Amish ，

In "How the Other Half Eats，" author Priya Fielding-Singh chronicles years of following mothers （and some fathers） in Silicon Valley， one of the most unequal areas of the United States in terms of housing stability， income inequality， and disparities by race。 The book could just be another catelogue of inequity， but Fielding-Singh goes far beyond just reporting poverty， and instead produces a genuinely powerful piece of modern sociology research。 She accomplishes this feat through radical empath In "How the Other Half Eats，" author Priya Fielding-Singh chronicles years of following mothers （and some fathers） in Silicon Valley， one of the most unequal areas of the United States in terms of housing stability， income inequality， and disparities by race。 The book could just be another catelogue of inequity， but Fielding-Singh goes far beyond just reporting poverty， and instead produces a genuinely powerful piece of modern sociology research。 She accomplishes this feat through radical empathy， and a genuine commitment to getting to know the families who are struggling with decisions （big and small） each and every day when it comes to feeding their children。 Each family becomes more than another statistical point， and instead becomes fully human as Fielding-Singh describes what makes individual family members tick， laugh， and worry about the future。 。。。more

Judy Holle ，

From in-depth interviews and observations of many families from different backgrounds， personal stories are shared to help us understand how and why eating habits are influenced。 Priya Fielding-Singh does this with understanding and without judgement。 I enjoyed "getting to know" the families through their stories！ Thought provoking proposals are given for how we， as a society， can ensure everyone has equal access to healthy foods。 From in-depth interviews and observations of many families from different backgrounds， personal stories are shared to help us understand how and why eating habits are influenced。 Priya Fielding-Singh does this with understanding and without judgement。 I enjoyed "getting to know" the families through their stories！ Thought provoking proposals are given for how we， as a society， can ensure everyone has equal access to healthy foods。 。。。more

Laura O ，

Extremely readable and relatable look into the world of food inequality。 The time and care the author spent with each family is obvious， and offers the reader an engaging and page turning view into the experience of feeding children across the income ladder。 Highly recommended for anyone hoping to better understand food inequality。

Anne - Books of My Heart ，

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley 。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。I admit I don't read a lot of non-fiction。 I normally read it to expand my knowledge or research a topic。  I was interested in How the Other Half Eats but I think I might have thought of it from a nutritional viewpoint rather than the sociology it studies。  I liked the book， but it was not easy to read because it felt too detail This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley 。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。I admit I don't read a lot of non-fiction。 I normally read it to expand my knowledge or research a topic。  I was interested in How the Other Half Eats but I think I might have thought of it from a nutritional viewpoint rather than the sociology it studies。  I liked the book， but it was not easy to read because it felt too detailed and I kept waiting for the point。  That is probably my fault from working in the business world。 I stuck to the facts and conclusions unless someone asked for the "data。"There is a lot of data and examples with the shared thoughts of the author on how she sometimes believed one thing and learned something else。  The commentary on society and its expectations and judgements were also clear in frustration and constant worry of the mothers working to feed their children。What children are fed in homes from the poorest single parent homes to the wealthiest two parent homes is different， and yet women handle the bulk of the burden。  The amount they accomplish toward healthier eating depends on more than dollars。  The general view has been how the poor don't have access to supermarkets or the best types of food - a food desert- but that isn't really the basis of the problem。  There are some factors relating to education and cultural differences in foods。  A bigger factor is related to the amount of time the mother has for shopping and preparing food。  Some of these factors relate back to societal issues for affordable housing，  paid leave， and livable wages。A surprising factor in the poorest homes is when a mother has a couple extra dollars it is not put towards essentials like utilities or saved for emergencies or food at a later time， but it is given to make a child happy with candy or a soda or snacks or fast food / eating out 。 The "treat" may not be healthy but it is something the mother can give to make her child happy when most of the time she has to say no to so many other things the child wants。In the homes with less dollars， it is more about the overall child welfare， including their having something to eat。  With more money， it is about controlling the quality of the food and choices to give the child the best chance for their future and an education of sorts for when they select and prepare their own foods。 Of course， this is not black and white， families fall along the spectrum。  One option a wealthier family had， was to hire a shopper / cook to provide better meals， when the mother was working， earning higher wages。  With less affluent families， this role was sometimes taken on by a grandmother or older female relative in an unpaid and possibly inconsistent schedule。While it was interesting to hear the personal stories of so many families， and helped me to gain more understanding into why they handled food the way they did， I would have preferred a more organized presentation of the conclusions with more specific examples。 I'm not sure I needed to know all about the author's feelings as she did her research or the way she was careful not to be judgmental or how she found her families to study。   I would have enjoyed a shorter， more focused book。COYER # 17 Read a non-fiction book。 。。。more

David Wineberg ，

The entire world knows Americans eat badly， are hugely overweight and unfit， and don’t know good food when they see it。 But Priya Fielding-Singh， a Stanford sociology student， wanted to know what exactly families were eating， and why。 She personally conducted a study， interviewing 160 parents and their mostly teenage children， and spending three months observing four families， all in the Bay area of northern California。 The result was a Phd and this book， How The Other Half Eats。Not being a nutr The entire world knows Americans eat badly， are hugely overweight and unfit， and don’t know good food when they see it。 But Priya Fielding-Singh， a Stanford sociology student， wanted to know what exactly families were eating， and why。 She personally conducted a study， interviewing 160 parents and their mostly teenage children， and spending three months observing four families， all in the Bay area of northern California。 The result was a Phd and this book， How The Other Half Eats。Not being a nutritionist， she avoided judgment on what people ate。 Being a sociologist， she wanted to know why parents bought what they did， why everyone ate what they did， and the role food played in their families。 She networked her way to a balanced effort， with rich and poor， Black， white， Hispanics and Asians。 （It was all but impossible to find a father responsible for the groceries and the feeding。 She managed to profile one。） She was open to getting close to the families， and ended up helping make dinner， going to birthday parties， watching old movies and of course， shopping。 She recorded their stories， listened to their histories and avoided getting personally involved in their crises。 Like any ethnographer， her focus was observation， making endless notes on artifacts， décor， clothing， hair， activities， neighborhoods and foods， in order to write it all up as if no one had ever heard of these kinds of people before。 Her book is very personal as well as thorough。 She weaves in her own story and the food she was raised on， and how she approaches bringing up her own child now， nearly ten years later。 She is class conscious and very aware of privilege。It takes about a hundred pages， but Priya Fielding-Singh （hereinafter PFS） finally discovers where conventional wisdom and common knowledge are plainly wrong。 Everyone “knows” that being poor means being unable to afford quality food。 That poverty makes people fat and sloppy， that it leads the higher quality supermarkets to pack up and leave， changing neighborhoods into food deserts。 But PFS looked at the data and found that was not true。 Mothers will buy junk food for their kids when it is the only luxury they can afford。 A couple of Starbucks Frappacinos， a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal or peanut butter cinnamon Oreos is not their idea of nutrition， but it is about the only thing they can do that makes their kids feel great。 In wealthier families， the mothers have far less compunction about saying no to junk food。 It actually makes them feel like good mothers， she says。 Poorer moms spend all day saying no， so a treat they can actually afford is a no-brainer。In the summer， richer kids go to camps， have laptop computers， take lessons or tutors as needed。 They go on trips， they eat in restaurants on a regular basis。 For the marginal， there is none of that。 Their kids sit and watch videos all through the summer break。 Ice cream from the passing truck is as good as it gets。She found another myth regarding food deserts。 The moms in the study had all the choice in the world， because Americans go far for their groceries。 The “average American travels 5。2 miles to grocery shop， and 90 percent of shopping trips in the country are made by car。 It turns out that people are willing to travel long distances to buy food and are less geographically constrained，” she says。 She found from her participants that quality foods were not more expensive or beyond their means。 Processed foods cost more， not less， but were more filling。 To that extent， they provided more value than raw ingredients。 It was never a preference for junk; it was all thought through。This brings up waste。 Americans trash nearly 40% of the food they buy。 In poorer households， that just cannot happen。 Mothers quickly learn that brussel sprouts stay on the plate， but KFC is eaten completely， right to the bone， every time。 When it is critical to get calories into growing （and growling） stomachs， they have no option but to cater to picky teenage preferences。 It’s not their choice， but it satisfies their families and keeps them going。 Mothers are clear that fast food and processed foods are not the legacy they want future generations to wax nostalgic over， like these moms do about their own mothers’ cooking。She says “Food insecurity in the United States affects more than thirty-five million people and about two-thirds of households below the poverty line。 In 2019， one in nine Americans lacked enough food。” Programs like SNAP and WIC did not solve the problem （nor were they meant to）， but they alter behavior dramatically。 When their cards are recharged on the first of the month， cardholders grocery shop like there’s no tomorrow。 Rather than budget weekly， they spend it all gloriously at once （it also saves on gas）， and eat really well that first week。 As the month wears on， the cupboards empty out， sometimes leaving nothing at all before the cards recharge。 It’s an artificial， unnatural and most unfortunate cycle for those who must pay half their income in rent。 They are simply never out of the hole， and this is how they cope。Food shopping is an ordeal， rich or poor。 Junk foods， processed foods and candies line the aisles and end caps。 Children ask， then beg， then cry for them。 The tie-ins from all the commercials they see on TV and their own phones make them drool for the products when they see them within reach。 Never mind the bad effects， their own cultural heritage， their economic position or the food’s bad effects: moms （must） cave on a regular basis。 The processed food makers win， again and again。 “They promise moms ease， comfort， and convenience。 They promise moms quiet， happy children。 They promise moms the chance to be ‘good’ by making their lives easier and getting their kids fed。 They promise less sodium and fat and more whole grains and protein。 They promise health。 But apart from， perhaps， convenience， the industry does not deliver on any of these promises。 In fact， it brings parents the exact opposite。 It fosters nagging and begging。 It prompts meltdowns and tantrums in the supermarket。 It forces moms to sacrifice their preferences to keep kids quiet and content。 It promotes lies about food’s qualities and benefits。” PFS is hardly the first to call for regulation banning food advertising to children。She was initially shocked that poorer mothers had no problem blowing twenty bucks on fast food treats， even though the rent was short again and the cellphones were cut off for lack of payment。 But sober reflection made PFS come to the same conclusion the mothers did: twenty bucks was not going to pay off a bill， appease the landlord or mollify the phone company。 It was never going to make up for anything。 A treat was a necessary event when cellphones were dead to the world。 Another food perversion of poverty。She found that mothers were always comparing themselves， judging how well their families were faring， taking small satisfaction that there were some worse off than they were， and that they were doing a better job with what little they had。Most of all， she found mothers of all economic strata were totally stressed。 The wealthier ones were stressed by not having enough time to make dinners for the family or spend quality time with the kids。 The poorer ones stressed over that they could not deliver the American Dream。 PFS did not， could not find even one mother satisfied with her own performance as a mom。 If it wasn’t homecooking， it was worry over what a balanced regimen should be， what advertising to believe， or putting too much pressure on kids， supervising them too closely or not enough， exploiting their talents too hard or not at all， having a great family life or not – it is endless。 Motherhood is a gigantic negative force endured seemingly by all American moms。From there， PFS jumps to a remarkable Conclusion。 She calls outright for far more respect and resources for mothers。 She wants programs like SNAP and WIC totally revamped and made effective for far more families。 Schools should provide good breakfasts and lunches。 She wants governments to make the American Dream and the safety net real and activated parts of family life。 “Personal responsibility has never solved a public health problem or remedied an inequity。 Food is no exception。 Certainly， many of us could make small choices to eat differently。 Many of the families I met had either done so or were trying to figure out how to eat more nutritiously with the resources they had。 But， largely due to the structures implemented by the food industry and federal government， most felt like they were fighting an uphill battle—and losing。”These conclusions do not flow from her study; they flow from being an eyewitness to the daily distortions that food， sexism， racism and classism engender in modern American life。 They come from the heart， which is to be applauded and encouraged。David Wineberg 。。。more

Emily Correia ，

I took a number of classes in college about inequalities in the U。S。， and one particularly interesting one about food insecurities， so this book spoke to me when I saw it on Net Galley。 The author does a really comprehensive job interviewing hundreds of families， and diving deeply into four families from different socioeconomic backgrounds all in the same area of the country to paint a broad picture。 Her effort to go above and beyond on her study design by choosing only families with school aged I took a number of classes in college about inequalities in the U。S。， and one particularly interesting one about food insecurities， so this book spoke to me when I saw it on Net Galley。 The author does a really comprehensive job interviewing hundreds of families， and diving deeply into four families from different socioeconomic backgrounds all in the same area of the country to paint a broad picture。 Her effort to go above and beyond on her study design by choosing only families with school aged children really helped build her credibility for this well-researched work。 This book really makes you take a step back and examine not only the way you eat， but also the value we put into food。 As an example， the author compares two families， one who uses small treats， like chips or soda， as a way to find ways to say yes to her kids when she can’t afford to say yes to bigger things， and one who is able to say yes in a number of other ways uses asks for junk food as a teachable moment on better nutrition。 Throughout the book， she juxtaposes the families to illustrate how a basic need like food can mean something different to each of us。 The end of the book tidied up her conclusions into a neat bow， wrapping in the pandemic that we can all relate to。 I also really enjoyed how she brought everything together at the end by proposing solutions to the problem and explaining the efforts already underway。 。。。more

Meghan ，

This book was received as an ARC from Little， Brown Spark in exchange for an honest review。 Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own。I absolutely learned so much from reading this book that it changed my whole perspective on food especially concerning access to food。 I count my blessings everyday that I have a stable job where I make enough money to feed my family healthy food but I know there are many others that can't afford to eat healthy and they visit food banks This book was received as an ARC from Little， Brown Spark in exchange for an honest review。 Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own。I absolutely learned so much from reading this book that it changed my whole perspective on food especially concerning access to food。 I count my blessings everyday that I have a stable job where I make enough money to feed my family healthy food but I know there are many others that can't afford to eat healthy and they visit food banks and food distribution centers just to get enough。 It was so interesting to get an inside look of each of the four families and how they were feeding each other。 It still breaks my heart that not everyone has access to food but thankfully there are places like the local library that has resources and books like this one that informs people how to get access to these resources and get the food that they need to feed their families and that is how no kid will be left hungry。We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library。 That is why we give this book 5 stars。 。。。more

MookNana ，

This is a well-researched， well-presented study on food insecurity and food choice in the US。 It should be noted that it focuses solely on families with school-age children， and that factors very much into the decisions the families make and the conclusions drawn。 So， it shouldn't be taken as a complete study of the issue， but rather a deep and informative look at one part of the issue。The writing style was very engaging and I really enjoyed getting to know the families the author featured。 Thei This is a well-researched， well-presented study on food insecurity and food choice in the US。 It should be noted that it focuses solely on families with school-age children， and that factors very much into the decisions the families make and the conclusions drawn。 So， it shouldn't be taken as a complete study of the issue， but rather a deep and informative look at one part of the issue。The writing style was very engaging and I really enjoyed getting to know the families the author featured。 Their stories were compelling and didn't often lead to the obvious conclusions。 How we acquire， consume， and experience food is so profoundly tied to our culture and economic status that it really feels like these families lived in different worlds， despite the relatively short physical distance between them。 The most striking thing this book revealed for me is confirmation of the universal idea that we are all doing the best we can with what we have available to us。 Choices that don't make sense through one lens， are profoundly understandable when considered in context。 At the end， the author's recommendation for fixing the issues revealed is basically "become Scandinavia" which would be awesome， but seems somewhat unfeasible。 Still， there are multiple avenues for improvement and progress on any would be a boon to our society。Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review！ 。。。more

Janet ，

Publication date: October 5， 2021Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book。 This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own。From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。A fascinating look at dietary differences along class lines， revealing that lack of access to healthy food is far from the primary driver of nutritional ineq Publication date: October 5， 2021Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book。 This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own。From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。A fascinating look at dietary differences along class lines， revealing that lack of access to healthy food is far from the primary driver of nutritional inequality in America。 Inequality in America manifests in many ways， but perhaps nowhere more than in how we eat。 From her years of field research， sociologist and ethnographer Priya Fielding-Singh brings us into the kitchens of dozens of families from varied educational， economic， and ethnoracial backgrounds to explore how—and why—we eat the way we do。 We get to know four families intimately: the Bakers， a Black family living below the federal poverty line; the Williamses， a working-class white family just above it; the Ortegas， a middle-class Latinx family; and the Cains， an affluent white family。Whether it's worrying about how far pantry provisions can stretch or whether there's enough time to get dinner on the table before soccer practice， all families have unique experiences that reveal their particular dietary constraints and challenges。 By diving into the nuances of these families’ lives， Fielding-Singh lays bare the limits of efforts narrowly focused on improving families’ food access。 Instead， she reveals how being rich or poor in America impacts something even more fundamental than the food families can afford: these experiences impact the very meaning of food itself。Packed with lyrical storytelling and groundbreaking research， as well as Fielding-Singh’s personal experiences with food as a biracial， South Asian American woman， How the Other Half Eats illuminates exactly how inequality starts on the dinner plate。 Once you’ve taken a seat at tables across America， you’ll never think about class， food， and public health the same way again。Working in a very poor part of London I see food inequality and food deserts at their zenith - it is easier to feed the kids from 7-11 than from a grocery store 5km away！ This book goes in-depth but is never staid or boring: it was actually a fascinating read。 But then again， I am a statistics and information nerd。 I will highly recommend this book to bookclubs， coworkers and patrons alike as it gives concrete ideas on how to help those in need。As always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 "） on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it 🥥🥥🥥🥥 。。。more

Manda Nicole ，

How the other half eats attempts to change the way we perceive obesity， health issues， and food in general， claiming that contrary to some researchers and doctors，Obesity and other issues our families situations， personal responsibility is not to blame， instead Priya Fielding-Singh has placed the blame on the food itself。 Bold， personal， and well researched this book will attack popular myths about food and force the reader to pause and think about the level of inequality in our society and how How the other half eats attempts to change the way we perceive obesity， health issues， and food in general， claiming that contrary to some researchers and doctors，Obesity and other issues our families situations， personal responsibility is not to blame， instead Priya Fielding-Singh has placed the blame on the food itself。 Bold， personal， and well researched this book will attack popular myths about food and force the reader to pause and think about the level of inequality in our society and how that hurts our very selfs， endangering families while going mostly unnoticed， Priya Fielding-Singh has pulled the curtains back and shed some light on inequality and forces the reader to question their thoughts on the subject。。I was thrilled to receive this book， however it was something I could not get behind。 Others may take more from the book than I did and thats great if you do， but given the choice I'd pass on this one in favor of other books。Thank you to netgalley and publisher for providing me an e-copy so I can share my honest opinion。 。。。more

Kayo ，

In-depth study。 Very impressive book。Thanks to author， publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 While I got the book for free， it had no bearing on the rating I gave it。