“Paxson's book, like her subject matter, is lively, evocative, and masterfully crafted."—Susanne Freidberg, author of Fresh: A Perishable History
“Through vivid storytelling, Heather Paxson advances a post-pastoral food ethos that reconsiders contemporary beliefs about America’s food commerce and culture, reimagines our relationship to the natural world, and redefines how we make, eat, and appreciate food. For cheese aficionados, activists, and food scholars alike, reading The Life of Cheese will be a transformative experience.”—Amy Trubek, author of The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir
“The Life of Cheese is the definitive work on America's artisanal food revolution. Heather Paxson's engaging stories are as rich, sharp, and well-grounded as the product she scrutinizes. A must read for anyone interested in fostering a sustainable food system.”—Warren Belasco, author of Meals to Come: A History of the Future of Food
“This vivid ethnography of contemporary artisan cheesemakers explores both the labor of hand crafting and the moral overtones of this calling. For those who participate, ‘the life of cheese’ is indeed a calling in the spiritual or philosophic sense, entailing a journey through the biopolitical world of agribusiness, bacterial cultures, and the FDA. After reading this book, visiting a cheese counter will never be the same!”—Theodore C. Bestor, author of Tsukiji: The Fish Market at the Center of the World
“Anyone who loves cheese will find The Life of Cheese a fascinating read, illuminating layers of meaning in the artisan cheese revival that are rich and complex, like the flavors and textures of cheese itself. Heather Paxson is simultaneously documentarian and theoretician in her explorations of cheesemaking and its values, culture, socio-economics, and ‘microbiopolitics.’”—Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation and Wild Fermentation
