Column You don’t need another cookbook. You need a book about food. Yes, there’s a difference.

In the last year, I bet you have bought at least one cookbook. But how many books about food have you read? Cookbooks are inspirational, but books about food are informative. Certainly there are cookbooks and general food books that fall somewhere in the middle, but I happen to love food-themed writing that doesn’t come with recipes.

Be it political, investigative or simply a beautiful travel narrative about a tasty meal, here are 9 different books that any food lover should put on their reading list. They are in no particular order, and there are certainly many more amazing books out there, but these in particular are some of my favorites.

1. “Great Food” by Various

Ok, so this one is actually a collection of books. Pulled from across the ages, the Great Food series gives you a taste of the best food writing from the last 400 years. Everything from M.F.K. Fisher to Brillat Savarin to Alice Waters. Plus, their cool design makes them look really great as a full set.

2. “A Fork in the Road” Edited by James Oseland

If you believe that traveling is a way to discover new foods, then this is the book for you. A collection of essays on food and travel, “A Fork in the Road” is a Lonely Planet title, edited by former Saveur editor-in-chief, James Oseland.

3. “My Life in France” by Julia Child

It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t know who Julia Child is (or know a good Julia Child quote or two), and with good reason: she was a revolutionary. The book is a retrospective on her life, looking back at the path that took her to cooking fame.

4. “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan

You haven’t read this yet? Get yourself to a bookstore immediately. If you have read it, read it again, or pick up a copy of Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food”. These are essential titles for anyone interested in food politics and the food movement.

5. “Cooked” by Michael Pollan

Ok, ok, I know I am putting several Michael Pollan titles on this list, but that’s because he’s a talented journalist with good things to say. In the day and age where we watch more and more food television shows, but in fact, cook less, “Cooked” is a kick in the pants to get back in the kitchen, not just because it allows us to eat better, but because it’s what helps define us as human beings.

6. “Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health” by Marion Nestle

To think that “Food Politics“, written by Dr. Marion Nestle, was published all the way back in 2002 is pretty incredible. As one of the most powerful voices in the food movement, this is a primer into the crazy maze that is the food industry.

7. “The American Way of Eating” by Tracie McMillan

Sure, you know what the average American eats, but do you know all the complexities of the realities of our food system? For “The American Way of Eating“, Tracie McMillan went undercover in three jobs that feed the general American population to discover the true realities of our food system, and the people working within it: on a California farm, in a Walmart produce aisle and in an Applebee’s kitchen.

8. “An Everlasting Meal: Cooking With Economy and Grace” by Tamar E. Adler

This book is more like a cookbook than any of the other ones on here, but while Tamar E. Adler may explain in depth how to poach an egg in “An Everlasting Meal”, it’s more of a reflection on food than an instructional book on how to do it well.

9. “Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat” by Bee Wilson

Ever wonder how we ended up in a world of fancy cuisine and numerous kitchen gadgets? What we eat isn’t just about the ingredients; it’s about the tools that helped us prepare them. In “Consider the Fork“, Author Bee Wilson takes us through the compelling history of food, and how specific tools (the fork is just one of many), revolutionized how we eat and got us to where we are today.

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Image: Katrin Morenz

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