News

The Perfect Fruit Now Available On Kindle

2009-12-02T17:29:09Z

I would like to be but am not yet a Kindle user. If you're already one, you might be interested in the The Perfect Fruit eBook. It's now available at Amazon.

Whale Rider Of The Month!

2009-12-01T01:38:36Z

I'm honored to have been named Vulture Whale's Whale Rider of the Month. I've known the guys in the band since the days of the Kraken, and I highly recommend all their music.

The band will be playing in Birmingham this Friday, December 4, at the Nick (though it'll probably be well into December 5 before they actually take the stage). They're also booked for a December 26 show at the Bottletree.

In the meantime, download (for free) the band's rocking new EP, Bamboo You.

A Little Love From Oprah (.com)

2009-10-29T13:38:55Z

Oprah.com is running an excerpt of The Perfect Fruit. I also did a Q&A with them, but I don't see it on the site. Let me know if you come across it.

The Perfect Fruit On KCRW's 'Good Food'

2009-10-14T15:42:02Z

In case you missed it, I was on KCRW's "Good Food" recently to talk pluots, fruit breeding and California stone fruit with Evan Kleiman. I was on the front end of a flu-ish type thing, so the conversation's a little blurry now. But I've been a fan of "Good Food" for a long time, so it was a real pleasure to be on with Evan. And the whole show—tacos, the cuisine of Bhutan, James McWilliams on local food—is worth a listen.

Tyler Cowen Recommends The Perfect Fruit

2009-09-23T14:24:54Z

The man does read a lot, but I was still nerdily excited to hear that Tyler Cowen finished and liked The Perfect Fruit. Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University and author most recently of Create Your Own Economy, writes often about the effects of technology and globalization on the arts, food and culture. For a good Cowen cross-section, read his thoughtful critique of Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, watch his talk at Google on the difference between grants and prizes, and listen to his On the Media appearance to discuss Radiohead's release of In Rainbows.

Thursday: Book Party At The Rendezvous In TFMA

2009-09-23T14:04:12Z

I'm having a book party tomorrow night at the Rendezvous in Turners Falls, MA. The party will start at 5:30 p.m. and continue until Angus starts to fall asleep or the music starts, whichever comes first.

New Scientist Reviews The Perfect Fruit

2009-09-02T21:14:11Z

In the August 28 issue of New Scientist, Jonathan Christison reviews The Perfect Fruit, writing that "you may not find yourself as swept away by the pluot as Brantley was, but you are sure to look at things differently on your next trip to the produce aisle."

Read Jonathan Christison's whole review.

Karp Reviews Perfect Fruit In Los Angeles Times

2009-09-02T20:40:58Z

I'm a little late getting mentioning this, but the writer and pomologist David Karp, formerly known as the "Fruit Detective," has a review of the book in last Wednesdsay's Los Angeles Times. David calls the book"an engaging one" and then goes on to say that

it is not just about the Zaigers and Pluots -- that would be a bit much for anyone but die-hard fruit geeks -- but a wide-ranging look inside the California stone fruit industry, its breeders, farmers, history and commerce, its controversies and intrigue. His central theme, the struggle to deliver flavorful fruit despite the compromises of industrial growing and marketing, should interest anyone who cares about food.

David's article about the Zaigers in the September 2000 issue of Gourmet was the first thing I ever read about pluots, and as he did in that piece, he raises some interesting points in the review about the reach of the work the Zaigers and other fruit breeders do.

Read David Karp's whole review.

Talking Pluots On Food Chain Radio

2009-08-25T02:22:09Z

This past weekend, I chatted about the book for an hour on Michael Olson's Food Chain radio (scroll down to show #648). Among his many other accomplishments, Michael is the author of MetroFarm: The Guide to Growing for Big Profit on a Small Parcel of Land. We bashed the Red Delicious Apple and talked a lot about Luther Burbank. It was fun.

Pluot Versus Plumcot At Slate

2009-08-20T18:30:11Z

A short thing I wrote about the difference between pluots and plumcots is up at Slate. It's a little technical, but I got to work in a Mary Magdalene reference, which is always fun.