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Summary: hungry for a lost fish
Review: A purse-sized history of the cod fishery, from the Basques & vikings to the fishes' modern decimation by large scale bottom-dragging. The social & historical ramifications spawned (no pun intended) by the international quest for this fish are incredible. Kurlansky's book weaves historical accounts in choronological order with hundreds of years of recipes for preparing cod. Though the book was well-written, concise, and highly interesting, I found it oddly incongruous to read about the vast decimation of this species yet find myself hungry for the very same fish after reading the next page's recipe for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Yummy...
Review: A purse-sized history of the cod fishery, from the Basques & vikings to the fishes' modern decimation by large scale bottom-dragging. The social & historical ramifications spawned (no pun intended) by the international quest for this fish are incredible. Kurlansky's book weaves historical accounts in choronological order with hundreds of years of recipes for preparing cod. Though the book was well-written, concise, and highly interesting,?I found it oddly incongruous to read about the vast decimation of this species yet find myself hungry for the very same fish after reading the next page's recipe for it.
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Summary: Great prose, great story, must reading!
Review: Cod is a brilliant essay on world history, american history and natural history. Very well written and researched. Putting it down was hard to do. It is a mega example of what has happened to many other species of fish coveted for their commercial or sport value. Our history is not encouraging in this respect. Though some of these species have partially recovered, the cod has a very very hard row to hoe given the passions, pressures, and traditions standing in its way. This work filled me with dispair. As I read the last few chapters I was landing in, visiting, and leaving Providence, R.I. The lead story on the evening news was the fisherman's plight. Cod fishing was closed. I hope more is written on this and that scientists, fishermen, politicians, and the public can reach some reasonable compromise to bring back this great fish. Read this book!
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Summary: The fish that changed the world.
Review: Cod is a story for the ages.Not only was it the way of life for many, it was a major reason European's set sail across the atlantic to reach America. Mark Kurlansky, the author of the book "COD", worked for many years on commercial fishing boats so he had a backround of fish before writting the book. Kurlansky's use of words in the book not only explains to you in detail the way of life of ancient Basque fisherman, but he makes you feel as if you were in the times of when Basque fishing was an uprising prominent respected job. The book is so intruiging the way Kurlansky sums up the history of cod, and describes it as an adventure of the century. To read this book would broden ones horizon of the history of our past and would enlighten the reader that cod not only changed the world but made it what it is today.
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Summary: Perfect For Detail Junkies
Review: Cod is not for every reader, reflecting as it does the author's deep interest in history, and how individual foods relate to history. What the book gives to thoughtful readers is true context along with its detail. Kurlansky drives home a real point: you cannot separate the fish from the men who risk and lose their lives to extract it from the sea, nor can the food be divorced from the dollars it represents. In culinary terms, I was inspired to start cooking with dried cod; it's the kind of thing you don't notice in your supermarket until something--this book in my case--sticks it into your consciousness with no going back. As a real "foodie" and an incurable history buff, I am thankful that writers like Kurlansky go to the trouble of applying their talents to subjects like this.Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com
Rating:
Summary: There's a reason it's widely recommended...
Review: If you're one of the many people who's been caught up in the wave of highly focused historical books that have innundated our book stores, then this book is for you. Kurlansky presents the history of one of the most mundane items possible (excepting the humble potato and there's a book on that too) with an engaging and informative style. The book presents as a mix of history, current events, and recipes. It misfired at times. There is not discussion (or recommendation) regarding management of resources or planning for the future of our fisheries. And some absolute statements (such as the superiour development of Basque cod cuisine) deserve to be challenged. And Kurlansky doesn't consider the fishing history of Native Americans; although, it may be for lack of documentation (I don't know; I'm not a historian; that's why I read these things). In spite of this, it's an outstanding book. It meets the two key requirements for me in this regard; one, I recommend it to other people who report back on how much they liked it; and two, I'll read it again. Buy it. Read it. You'll probably enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Like a schooner, skimming the surface
Review: Mark Kurlansky has written a breezy (yet ultimately gloomy) little book, full of tidbits of knowledge about the cod. It's a fascinating subject, especially if you have ever lived in the parts of the world where cod has reigned supreme. And yes, the author not only tells us about the fish itself, but how nations have struggled over the centuries to protect their collective livelihoods, occasionally warring against each other as national pride and survival were at stake. Several months ago I read Mr. Kurlansky's book, "Salt: A World History". This newer book is far better than "Cod" as it delves deeper into a comestible that REALLY changed the course of history. A problem that I have with both books is the author's writing style. It's very disjointed. He jumps from one geographic area of cod harvest to another and from one time period to another as well. There is no real weaving of a story line here....it's as if he wrote each chapter on a whim. However, I especially like the inclusion of recipes in this book. It gives a "human" side to the cod and allowing readers to view recipes from Europe and North America is a great way to end the book. If you have any desire to read "Cod", I would suggest reading it first before going on to "Salt".
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Summary: Gastronomic History
Review: Mark Kurlansky's 'fish tale' spans over 400 years of American and world history to reveal how something as seemingly insignificant as one species can alter the course of a country's history. Starting with the Basque fishermen who may have 'discovered' North American before Columbus (but after the Norse), Kurlansky shows how cod became a staple in our diet and affected incidents such as the American Revolution and slavery. He also makes a good case for conservation of the modern Atlantic cod, and present factors that could render this fish for all intents and purposes extinct. From my perspective, the 'cod wars' of the mid-20th century were the most entertaining, and provide a mirror for more well-known historical events such as the Cold War. Sprinkled throughout are recipes -- modern and ancient -- for preparing cod, including snacking on codheads. On the whole, a fascinating look at how war, diplomacy, trade and exploration were fueled by one species, and how we refuse to change our customs, diets, and livelihoods even if we are destructive to our environment and ourselves.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: One of the worst written books I have read in 2 years. The story: for hundreds of years there were a lot of people catching and eating cod, but then they were overfished and there are no longer giant stocks of cod. Now you have no reason to get this book, as the author does not add much to that sentence - but drags it out. A bunch of relatively unrelated fish facts and boring details of random fish stories - but no storytelling ability is present. Dull and repetitive.
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Summary: A Cod piece
Review: Overall, I thought Cod to be an "ok" read. It's strongest points were the inclusion of historic references to cod, images, and recipes - a novel approach for a non-fiction work. I also found the stories of contemporary cod fishermen (who aren't allowed to fish!) quite compassionate and the history of Basque fishers-of-cod both enlightening and surprising. However, Kurlansky was often repetitive with his cod anecdotes, and I found his writing style to be a bit cumbersome and slow. I'm a big fan of John McPhee's work, which exemplifies the essay as poetry, and I had hoped that Kurlansky might offer a new, strong voice in the non-fiction, natural history essay. I was a bit disappointed that the central text read much like an undergrad research paper. I do plan to read his recent book Salt because I find the subject premise intriguing. If you like eating fish or fishing, are interested in how natural and human history intertwine, or are simply a fan of nature writing, I would recommend giving Cod a try.
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