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NYT History Book Reviews: Who Got Noticed this Week?

 

Empire of Cotton by Sven Beckert

The Review

Written by Harvard historian Sven Beckert, Empire of Cotton makes the case that cotton was the commodity that defined the 19th century. Not only did it encourage slavery's terrible expansion in the Deep South and throughout the Atlantic, it forced Native Americans off of their traditional lands. This book presents evidence that links the reformation of global capitalism to the cotton industry.

The Bottom Line: It seems that Beckert "cotton" to something great here. In fact, stock market analysts may want to check on the current fluctuations of the cotton industry in lieu of the successful release of his book; Beckert may be the head of Operation Fluffy Stuff, an economic blueprint to electrify the cotton industry again. Oil's been taking too much of the spotlight for too long, I tell you, too long!

How it fared from the critic:

Adam Hochschild, author of “To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918.” concluded that:

“Empire of Cotton” is not casual airplane reading. Heavy going at times, it is crowded with many more details and statistics (a few of them repeated) than the nonspecialist needs..."

“Empire of Cotton” read a bit like two books combined, with one of them incomplete. Cotton’s story Beckert more than fully tells, but his analysis of capitalism really requires a bigger-picture scrutiny of other industries as well..."

An undisclosed reviewer who happened to be wearing all-leather and is also employed by a carnivorous corporation remarked that the book "fell short as the epic tale that it tried to be. While it was impeccably researched, the book was not even made of cotton. How can I take something seriously when it's printed in paper? Plus, I endured a papercut during my reading sessions."

 

 A Tale of Two Plantations by Richard Dunn

The Review

Forty years ago, after the publication of his book Sugar and Slaves, Richard Dunn began an intensive investigation of two thousand slaves living on two plantations, one in North America and one in the Caribbean. He reconstructs the individual lives and collective experiences of three generations of slaves on a Mesopotamia sugar estate in Jamaica and a Mount Airy plantation in Virginia.

The Bottom Line: Be on the lookout for Dunn's next book, Nutmeg and Indentured Servants. (Disclaimer: Do not preorder this book because it's probably not real).

How it fared from the critic:

Greg Grandin, author of “The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom, and Deception in the New World.” said:

"Dunn’s restraint extends to a reluctance to engage in current debates concerning the relationship of slavery to capitalist development, which dilutes the power of his research and leads to some imprecision."

"Dunn’s discussion of interracial sex seems tone deaf to decades of scholarship on the subject."

"At times he plays down the varieties of sexual coercion that enslaved women lived under. At one point, he calls the relationship between a white overseer, his black “mistress” and his distraught wife a “ménage à trois.”


Citizen Coke by Bartow J. Elmore

The Review

Coca Cola built a global empire out of a soft drink formula, and they did it through Elmore the enactment of a relentless strategy of offloading costs onto suppliers, franchisees and governments. This book is about how the famed corporation became a behemoth, and how it's really getting the sweet end of the deal. In a world of scarcity, it's a strain on resources and all who depend on them.

The Bottom Line:

We've all consumed at least a swimming pools-worth of Coke in our lifetimes, and it tastes doggone good when you're in need of refreshment. It's a guilty pleasure, but it turns out Coke is really the guiltiest Guiltster of them all. Mob mentality, anyone? GET 'EM!

How it fared from the critic:

Beth Macy, author of “Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local — and Helped Save an American Town,” said:

"“Citizen Coke” began as a dissertation, and its points are lucid and logically presented; the language is accessible, and punchy chapter endings propel the story. But as a narrative, the structure is riddled with redundancies and leads to chronological whiplash."

"Almost every time there’s an opportunity for narrative sizzle, the book falls victim to a rigid structure and repetitiveness that more careful editing would have eliminated."

"All the ingredients of an important work of nonfiction are here, but the recipe is off. Despite its historical sweep and important message, “Citizen Coke” suffers from saccharin flatness, like a twist-top soda bottle opened one too many times."

 Tune in next time to "Who Got Noticed"!