Choice Review

In her well-researched Invention of the Modern Cookbook, food historian and attorney Sherman (Intellectual Property Law Institute, Fordham Univ.) argues that the development of the English cookbook during the 18th century created a template for the cookbooks written and used today. She compares 18th-century titles with modern ones in five main areas: voice, authority, specialization, celebrity, and pedagogy. The author does a fine job of reconstructing the history of 18th-century England and its impact on the nascent cookbook industry. Though she does note parallels between 18th-century cookbooks and current works, especially in the area of tomes penned by celebrity chefs, the strength of this work is the history of the cookbook during this period rather than the modern cookbook. Her thesis may feel a bit forced at times, but Sherman, unlike other cookbook history writers, proves that the history of the cookbook can withstand academic analysis and holds an important place in the English-speaking world. Summing Up: Recommended. Large academic libraries serving upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. S. C. Hardesty Georgia State University