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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Parts of this book about Midwest farming hit pretty close to home, except for all the parts about irrigation in NE because in IA we're usually hoping all the goddamn rain will let up.
Thorough Research
Genoways clearly invested a lot of time in researching. By including scientific data and professional interviews, the opinions of the family he shadowed were put into a greater context.
Genoways clearly invested a lot of time in researching. By including scientific data and professional interviews, the opinions of the family he shadowed were put into a greater context.
I read this because it was the pick for “One Book, One Nebraska” this year. I strongly disliked the narrator (I listened to the audiobook). The book itself was well written and kept my interest pretty well. I bought my grandpa a copy as it seemed to be more in his wheelhouse.
I read this book because I saw it promoted at my library as the All Iowa Reads 2009 eBook. Despite the focus on Nebraska instead of Iowa, I can see why it was chosen for this honor. The book goes well beyond "A Year in the Life of an American Farming Family" and provides a history of bioengineering, irrigation, and other topics related to farming. I learned a lot of very interesting and surprising things. I grew up on a farm in Tama County, Iowa, close to where a shocking incident takes place that is described in the book. My first job was walking beans. I detassled and even worked in a test plot for a seed corn company. Later when I moved to Des Moines, I worked for an advertising agency that created seed catalogs for Garst Seed. I now work for John Deere. This background helped me relate to a lot of things written about in the book, but it also helped me understand some things I didn't know that I didn't know. While parts of the book could have been better organized, I hope that [b:This Blessed Earth: A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm|38212129|This Blessed Earth A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm|Ted Genoways|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519082706s/38212129.jpg|55079097] makes strides in dispelling misconceptions about farmers being poor country bumpkins. The book justifies American farming as a high tech, immensely complex, and important industry within the US economy.
I’ve VERY particular in making sure a farm book is accurate and that it tells truths and not assumptions. I found this book fascinating and honest. While I may not have agreed with everything the characters brought up, I still found value in their opinions and the truthful journalism included.
2.5
While I enjoyed it in some parts, I wish the book would've focused more on the family rather than the history of farming. It was interesting reading about the history, but the book's subtitle is literally 'A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm' and I feel like we hardly found anything out.
While I enjoyed it in some parts, I wish the book would've focused more on the family rather than the history of farming. It was interesting reading about the history, but the book's subtitle is literally 'A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm' and I feel like we hardly found anything out.
The trick is figuring out if you are pining for something that has passed away - nostalgia - or if you are longing for something that never was - romanticism. A fascinating look at the life of a family of "modern" farmers in Nebraska, and a dip into their history of six generations on their land.
This book is riveting. The picture it paints is one that all citizens should see, and the way things are moving it is important to talk about this topic. I honestly wouldn’t have known about it unless it was picked as One Book and then our terrible governor Pete “P**is Head” Ricketts hadn’t lent refused to sign the proclamation for it saying it was a political hack-job. Pete-y obviously didn’t read it. It’s a factual account of the current state of family farming, and tells the story of one family.
Do yourself a favor, pick this up and educate yourself on current family farming in the Midwest.
Do yourself a favor, pick this up and educate yourself on current family farming in the Midwest.
I only picked up this book because it's the All Iowa Reads book (it's not even set in Iowa). If you have insomnia, this is the book for you. It put me to sleep everytime I opened it. I couldn't even finish it. It was so borrrrrrrrrrrring.