How Canadians Communicate VI: Food Promotion, Consumption, and Controversy ed. by Charlene Elliott (review)

How Canadians Communicate presents a collection of conversations and debates related to food in an attempt to understand what Canadians eat and why, and how they talk about it. The compilation of chapters in this book, by scholars and those working in the food industry, reflects on food communication as well as food as communication. The book is structured according to three themes: food promotion, food communication, and food controversy.

Beginning with food promotion, the contributors to this section examine the way food and food environments communicate with people and influence what they purchase and consume. The section on food communication covers food media, including print, radio, and television, as well as how food is discussed, from cookbooks to dinner parties. The final section on food controversies presents what might be considered alternative stances to otherwise popular positions on a wide variety of food issues including milk pasteurization, local food movements, and childhood obesity.

A key strength of this book is the inclusion of "insider voices" from practitioners. Inviting people working in food and food communications—the president of a culinary tourism company, a cookbook author, and a radio restaurant critic—to provide their perspectives and experiences adds a layer of insight to the scholarly discussions that make up the bulk of the book. Including contributions from those working in the food industry is central for a book focused on understanding food communication. The food controversies section includes no insider voice. While not a major shortcoming, perhaps a second edition can include such a contribution.

The piece by CBC radio restaurant critic John Gilchrist exemplifies how the book explores the intersection of food communication and food as communication. In his brief memoir, Gilchrist covers the evolution of his career, restaurants, and restaurant criticism by revealing career secrets, examining the changing media landscape, and how food writing influences the way people engage with these spaces. In doing so, he uses his insider voice to share his experiences with food promotion, communication, and controversy.

The perspective of the book is firmly Canadian; however, the topics throughout would be of interest to scholars on either side of the border interested in food communication, production, and consumption. As Elliott states in the introduction: "The contributors to this volume underscore just how much more talking needs to be done" (16) and certainly this volume begins many conversations that will continue among those who read it.