Welcome to Litsy!

An eye-opening read that encompassed more than I expected. The supply chain to (US) supermarkets includes the trucking industry, farming and slave labour. The marketing tactics & the way suppliers are beholden to major chains is also tough. I really enjoyed the writing style, prose & humour reminiscent of Michael Lewis. A deep investigation & example of Cal Newport‘s Slow Productivity. Makes me want to buy all my food at the farmers market.

Fun fact: The shopping cart was invented in 1937

Loving this deep dive into grocery stores and their evolution over the years.

This book covers SO MUCH:
-a bio of Joe (from Trader Joe‘s)
-the evolution of the grocery store, beginning with the general store, all the way to big box stores (though this is precovid, so much has changed since it‘s publication)
-the trucking industry (a scam, apparently?)
-the shrimp/fishing industries (modern indentured servitude)
-how products land on shelves/“start-up” food companies
Lorr used people‘s stories to illustrate broader issues.

A thoroughly researched investigation into the grocery industry. Lorr interrogates the obvious parts of the grocery industry like brand development, corporate structure, store systems and employment practices. Where this book really excels is in the chapters that explore more niche like trucking and the Thai shirmp industry. These chapters could have been whole books on their own. Loved it.

This book isn‘t The Jungle 2.0, but it does offer fascinating insight into the evolution of grocery stores, reflecting on their urgent attempts to understand consumer psychology and what it means for society. From sourcing, manufacturing, marketing, transportation, and retail, Lorr considers every facet of the grocery store, sometimes sharing glimmers of hope (try Slawsa!), but oftentimes calling out uncomfortable truths we may try to ignore.

An interesting book overall, but it had it's slow parts. The people Lorr meet while researching the book are fascinating!

So, my youngest is moving out this weekend which means I will suddenly have more available time for books and hopefully a little more disposable cash every so often. How does someone join in a swap or a readathon thing?

Enjoy the comic! We aren't selling. We own too much shit for that nonsense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ There‘s some great info here, but the organization/style doesn‘t flow well. And, ok, I get that after the brief history and such, Lorr uses specific stories to illustrate broader points. Not a bad thing necessarily, but he goes on and on AND ON to the point of utter boredom. I‘m sorry Slawsa lady and Tai fisher, but damn. The truck driver bit was great, though. This is not my only takeaway, but did you know many of them travel with a dog?

It‘s too pretty ☀️ out not to take advantage of it! Interesting read so far. 🛒

#audiowalk

Part 1 was interesting and engaging. It went downhill from there. The remaining parts just were not very good in my opinion. I think it's largely due to the author's writing just grating on me.

Yesterday was positively gorgeous, which required taking advantage of the weather and going for an afternoon walk. Grabbed a coffee and scone and headed to my local park to read. Finished part 1 of The Secret Life of Groceries, which has been quite interesting.

From packaging innovations to the supply chain to human trafficking and individual stories of grocers and product developers, this book is a really interesting look at aspects of groceries you otherwise probably don‘t know. What we see as food, they see as a product and the selling of desire. I really liked this.

I would start by suggesting a different title: “Vignettes of people who are in some way involved in the grocery business.” Lorr found a way in each story to focus only on the unseemly bits, but didn‘t get close to the miracle of grocery. For Lorr, if there is a speck of bad or greed or self-interest, it becomes entirely bad. There is no room for chiaroscuro. The book made me think, but mostly about what he got wrong so I can‘t rec and can‘t pan.

This topic seems so interesting but the writing style and narration are terrible. Not for me. Returning to audible.

I really wanted to like it, but there‘s that “the creepy dude writing in his cubicle” vibe about it.

Wanted to like this more than I did. Read a bit, skimmed but, read a bit, skipped a bit, repeat. Interesting info, but the writing style didn‘t appeal.