As the most ecologically efficient and economical source of complete protein in human food, soy is gradually attracting more use in the American diet for its nutritional and financial value. Derived from soybean plants - the leading export crop of the United States and the world's most traded crop - soy produced for human consumption is part of a global enterprise affecting the likes of farmers, economists, dieticians, and grocery shoppers. An international group of expert food specialists - including an agricultural economist, an agricultural sociologist, a former Peace Corps development expert, and numerous food anthropologists and agricultural historians - discusses important issues central to soy production and consumption: genetically engineered soybeans, increasing soybean cultivation, soyfood marketing techniques, the use of soybeans as an important soil restorative, and the rendering of soybeans for human consumption. Contributors are Katarzyna Cwiertka, Christine M. Du Bois, H. T. Huang, Lawrence Kaplan, Jian-Hua Mao, Sidney W. Mintz, Akiko Moriya, Can Van Nguyen, Donald Z. Osborn, Erino Ozeki, Myra Sidharta, Ivan Sergio Freire de Sousa, Chee-Beng Tan, and Rita de Cássia Milagres Teixeira Vieira.The World of Soy escorts readers on an unexpected but delightfully fascinating journey through the subject of soy as a food. . . . Recommended.--Choice
''This enjoyable work provides readers with an overview of the history of modern as well as traditional soy food products. It also points out roadblocks to improving nutritional standards of populations abroad through the introduction of soybean foods. The World of Soy will be extremely informative to groups such as food companies, chefs, and international agencies seeking to expand the uses of soybeans.'' Theodore Hymowitz, emeritus professor of plant genetics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign ''Measured in cash terms, soy (Glycine max) is in some ways the most important crop, and in terms of imports and exports, second only to wheat. The fact that this important book has contributions by seventeen authors reflects more than the circumstances of its origins in a couple of academic conferences; it also shows the vastness of the topic and the large number of disciplines required to make sense of it... [This] exemplary, comprehensive volume shows the way to frame the crucial questions of food studies. ''- Times Literary Supplement, 4th March 09
