Amanda (RockStarGirl) reviewed on 7/28/2009 + 329 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

This was a short tale of the impact of Typhoid Mary, or Mary Mallon. It's told with some sympathy towards Mary Mallon, as she wasn't ill while cooking and medical science being what it was, would have found it hard to believe that she could carry an illness with her. What's interesting is her stubborness and determination to not cooperate, not change her standards of cleanliness, and her desire to continue cooking knowing that she was spreading disease to families. Was it pride or simply a matter of ignorance and survival? Bourdain tends to believe it was a love of cooking that propelled her, and his view is shared throughout this book. Decent read with interesting historical facts.

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