The Language of Food

Dan Jurafsky, a recipient of a MacArthur "Genius Grant," is professor and chair of linguistics and professor of computer science at Stanford University. He and his wife live in San Francisco.

出版者:W. W. Norton & Company

作者:Dan Jurafsky

页数:272

出版时间:2014-9-15

价格:USD 26.95

装帧:Hardcover

isbn号码:9780393240832

图书标签:语言学饮食美食文化历史linguistics食语言类

Stanford University linguist and MacArthur Fellow Dan Jurafsky dives into the hidden history of food.

Why do we eat toast for breakfast, and then toast to good health at dinner? What does the turkey we eat on Thanksgiving have to do with the country on the eastern Mediterranean? Can you figure out how much your dinner will cost by counting the words on the menu?

In The Language of Food, Stanford University professor and MacArthur Fellow Dan Jurafsky peels away the mysteries from the foods we think we know. Thirteen chapters evoke the joy and discovery of reading a menu dotted with the sharp-eyed annotations of a linguist.

Jurafsky points out the subtle meanings hidden in filler words like "rich" and "crispy," zeroes in on the metaphors and storytelling tropes we rely on in restaurant reviews, and charts a microuniverse of marketing language on the back of a bag of potato chips.

The fascinating journey through The Language of Food uncovers a global atlas of culinary influences. With Jurafsky's insight, words like ketchup, macaron, and even salad become living fossils that contain the patterns of early global exploration that predate our modern fusion-filled world.

From ancient recipes preserved in Sumerian song lyrics to colonial shipping routes that first connected East and West, Jurafsky paints a vibrant portrait of how our foods developed. A surprising history of culinary exchange—a sharing of ideas and culture as much as ingredients and flavors—lies just beneath the surface of our daily snacks, soups, and suppers.

Engaging and informed, Jurafsky's unique study illuminates an extraordinary network of language, history, and food. The menu is yours to enjoy.

读后感

这是本娱乐性大于科普性的读物。 书中以食物为起源，介绍了与食物相关的语言，文化，历史，社会习惯。比如，第一章，作者通过餐厅中的菜单，得出结论，菜品描述中单词的平均长度每增加1各字母，这道菜的价格就会上升18美分！这就意味着如果餐厅使用比平均长度多3各字母的单词，...  

用户评价

王兴推荐的，在来回巴黎的大巴上看的，特别有意思，不过结构优点松散。

很喜欢！Bedtime reading系列，可以和同为linguist的厨友切磋。白天读Jurafsky & Martin，夜里还读Jurafsky，不亦乐乎 :D

一本关于食物的冷知识大全，大概只有资深吃货才会拿起这本书吧。本书专栏风，随便挑了几章，仅sex drug and sushi roll这章触动了我的nerd神经，看进去了…

很喜欢！Bedtime reading系列，可以和同为linguist的厨友切磋。白天读Jurafsky & Martin，夜里还读Jurafsky，不亦乐乎 :D

还是不太喜欢考据类的