Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

<blockquote>Think of a great library of flavours. For the last century we have been recklessly burning all of the books. [loc. 1824[</blockquote>
The author is a professor of culinary geography, a job I had no idea existed: 'combines my love of travel with my love of eating'. Her investigation of species extinction and its impact on cuisine takes her from Iceland to Hawaii, from musings on mammoths -- the wave of their extinction moved at a human's walking pace -- to being eaten alive by mosquitoes in Canada's far north whilst in search of bison. <cut text="more ...">(Newman is Canadian, and frequently contrasts food availability and gastroculture in the US and in Canada.)

Humans have domesticated, farmed or industrialised only a tiny percentage of edible plants and animals. Megafauna such as mammoths, dodos and aurochs have been driven extinct, or bred into safer forms, but there are vast swathes of the invertebrate kingdom left untasted. As Newman's subtitle indicates, this book is not merely a paean to vanished species, but an exploration of alternatives to the resource-intensive, ecologically-damaging agricultural methods that are devastating ecologies worldwide.

<i>Lost Feast</i> is packed with memorable (and often horrifying) statistics, presented in an accessible form. On American farming: "Roughly half of the calories we grow on the 14 percent of the earth’s land surface used for crop farming is actually eaten by people; 36 percent of the remainder is eaten by animals, with the last portion used for ethanol.In the meat-loving United States, only 27 percent of crops are eaten directly by people... it takes one hundred calories of grain to produce twelve calories of chicken; the same grain produces only three calories worth of beef." [loc. 933] Some of the assertions seemed wildly improbable -- were there really no honey bees in North America until 1621? <a href="https://nativebeeology.com/2018/01/26/native-honey-bees/">yes, really!</a>-- but there is a substantial bibliography, and plenty of citations.

Kudos, by the way, to Newman: many of the books she cites as inspiration are the work of female academics, for instance <i>How to Clone a Mammoth</i>, by Beth Shapiro; <i>Defending Beef</i> by Nicolette Niman; and <i>The Sixth Extinction</i> by Elizabeth Kolbert, a key text.

Interspersed with Newman's explorations are 'extinction dinners', in which her friend Dan creates a meal that approximates the extinct, or problematic, food that Newman has discussed. Some of these dinners are more appealing than others (pears with fish sauce? I don't <u>care</u> if it was a Roman delicacy) and some -- such as the feast of invasive species Dan prepares during their Hawai'ian trip -- are mouthwatering. Perhaps most germane is the 'Burger 2.0' meal, in which Dan explores alternatives to the traditional beefburger. ('recent studies suggest that each cow is more damaging in terms of climate change impact than the average car.' [loc. 753]). The 'taste testers' include enthusiastic carnivore Dan, and a vegan friend: their consensus was that the Beyond Burger (pea protein, yeast and coconut oil) is a serious contender, and also waaaay too meaty for the vegan.

This is a marvellous read, reminiscent of Margaret Visser's <i>Much Depends on Dinner</i> in its discursive approach, its weaving together of social, geographical and historical factors, and its occasional wry humour. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for this honest review!

Food and extinction. Everyone doesn't necessarily think those go hand and hand. Lost Feast is an ambitious book by Lenore Newman that explores the various ways in which we humans have driven some species to extinction or the brink of extinction. Newman covers the whole gamut from large wild animals to small birds, insects, fruits, etc. Each chapter of the book covers a different type of food where Newman and her friend (and fellow scientist) Dan have "extinction dinners". At these meals, they cook up food related to the area she is discussing. These could be reflective of food we have lost to extinction or meals we could be eating in the future due to endangered food. Newman also takes deep dives and discusses the history of a particular type of food and what has driven that food-source to extinction or the endangered list. For example ,the theory of mammoths being driven to extinction by hungry humans who saw them as an easy source of food.

This book combined two of my passions: science and food, so I found it very interesting. I learned a lot of new and fascinating facts from this book. The book isn't all doom & gloom; it left me hopeful for the future of our planet and food.

I recommend this to anyone who has concerns about the future of our planet as it offers up a different take than the typical "the weather is changing and ocean levels are rising".

Foodies. I admit to being one, somewhat. I'll try any food at least once (no thank you taste). But some foodies can actually behave like locusts. The rarer the better. The more expensive and exclusive the better. It's why caviar is so expensive and potentially devastating to the sturgeon that produce it. Foodies are killing off species and plants. Weather is also devastating land and killing off crops. It's a timely book. We all like to eat, maybe we should learn to eat a bit more responsibly. Lenore Newman's book is an interesting look at how humans and the climate have driven species extinction. It's an interesting book.