Food, economics and history are three of the most important things for modern human being. But naming them together is rather uncommon let alone mélange them to compose a book.
It becomes more unusual when it is known that the book is neither about hard core economics of numbers and jargon, which we laypeople may never comprehend, nor about the flat narration of history.
And the master shot of the writer is writing the book in most fluent language, with tinge of humour here and there along with the inculcation of history and economic lesson in most intriguing way.
Ha-Joon Chang is known as the myth-busting economist who has been expressing his thoughts in most eloquent ways. Previously the Cambridge economist rocked the world with his books like 23 things they don’t tell you about capitalism and Bad Samaritans: The Guilty Secrets of Rich Nations and the Threat to Global Prosperity.
In those books he attacked some myths created by neoliberal economics like supremacy of free-market, financial deregulation, tariff-free trade, foreign investment, austerity, patent rights and so forth. The South Korean portrayed the singular hegemony of a belief, namely neoliberalism that is creating catastrophe resulting global level calamity in terms of politics, economics and society.
The world is observing the rise of populism and the potential destruction of the environment. In the extreme unequal world billionaires are staging space race at the time when billions are starving awaiting miserable death amid the global pandemic.
Chang blatantly says economics is not the exact science claimed by most of his colleagues and also indicates that the brazen hedonism of the economists is putting the lives of billions into abyss. He sees things without any bias; he attacks every front but at the same time seeks solutions unlike a nihilist. The economist urges the world to handle the economic and political situations with common sense and case based solution rather than the one-size fits all type prescriptions.
But above all, he underlines to acknowledge the diversity and idiosyncrasy of human being in micro and macro level. In the era of globalization mutual respect and being acquainted with culture and history of ‘others’ are most important strategy.
That is where his unique style comes in this book. Chang divides the book in five chapters namely overcoming prejudice, becoming more productive, doing better globally, living together and thinking about the future.
He chose 17 different food items to narrate human history, especially its economic progress and brilliantly de-mythicized the neoliberal beliefs. By choosing those different spheres of edible items he showed how important it is to keep a balance and diversified diet. The same is true about economic and political policy that must be taken considering the diversity and utilities. He tackles the vital and complex issues like globalization, climate change, immigration, austerity, automation and so forth.
For example, by telling the story of chicken he shows equality is a critical concept. It is neither about the distribution the left wings believe nor about the production level as the free-market people tend to emphasise on. Rather it is a complex matter that should be gauged considering the history, culture, and society. All seventeen chapters tell the stories in a manner that captivates the readers and make the book un-put-down-able.
He gives a personal aura by his experience about all the food items, introduces their importance in many cultures and how they shaped the world history. In the end he smoothly inserts the economic theories and his takes on them.
The readers end the chapters almost in a single breathe and get incredible juxtaposition of feeling like sadness, fun and most prominently the satisfaction of busting the established faiths. In Chang’s word, it is like a detective story where the sleuth unfolds the facts gradually and dramatically. Chang, the passionate lover of detective stories of Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle, brilliantly maintained that aura.
It will be unjust to readers if further description is given. But surely every chapter will excite them. In my case, it was like a roller-coaster ride that I finished in a breath but its charm will stay forever.