Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need To Save Them

The world’s food supply is becoming monolithic, with a very few companies controlling the breeds of animal and plant in human diets, writes BBC food journalist Saladino. His work begins with a call to action—a plea to listeners to examine their own diet’s impact—then transitions into a discussion of the evolution of food from the Big Bang to the present day. After building the argument that listeners should take seriously the homogenization of food sources, Saladino discusses particular species that are going extinct, taking listeners on a global tour of heritage food sources from Asia, Africa, North America, and elsewhere. The audiobook benefits from having Saladino as the narrator; it feels as though he is having a conversation with listeners, building his case that humans should consider our diets and their impact on the global food chain. Saladino begins by discussing wild foods (honey; herbs), then goes on to cereal, vegetables, meat, seafood, fruit, cheese, alcohol, and more. Saladino also introduces listeners to people who are working hard to preserve each of these food sources.