Brady's new book is Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks--a Cool History of a Hot Commodity.
At Electric Lit she tagged "seven must-read microhistories that teach us so much about our past in the most surprising and multifaceted ways," including:
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee WilsonRead about the other entries on the list.
Acclaimed food writer Bee Wilson reveals how the fork and other culinary technologies changed how people eat, cook, and serve meals. She covers prehistoric uses of food-related tools (such as rocks and rudimentary bowls) as well as more modern inventions, like the microwave. Wilson’s style is both funny and informative, and the history she reveals shows just how important the fork is and how its legacy of kitchen technologies have changed not only the food on our tables, but the roles that food plays in our ceremonies, social gatherings, and everyday lives.
--Marshal Zeringue