A book about groceries and grocery stores can go one of two ways. It can be extraordinarily dry and dull, or it can tip into the fascinating. I’m happy to say I thought THE SECRET LIFE OF GROCERIES was deeply interesting and readable. From the origins of Trader Joe’s and the intricacies of the trucking system to how a new product goes from idea to shelf and the disturbing details behind shrimp acquisition in Southeast Asia, I was hooked. (I find it especially cool to note that I was able to pull some insights to apply to my work in nonprofit communications–who would have thought?!)

I will note that there are some segments that may be difficult to read for some animal lovers, so do be mindful of that. All in all, this is a deeply researched, detailed, and engagingly written book about a subject we can all relate to.