[Hybrid] Just the Facts: the Nonfiction Only Book Club - The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr

This month we will discuss:
The Secret Life of Groceries: the Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr

In this page-turning exposé, author Benjamin Lorr pulls back the curtain on this highly secretive industry. Combining deep sourcing, immersive reporting, and sharp, often laugh-out-loud prose, Lorr leads a wild investigation, asking what does it take to run a supermarket? How does our food get on the shelves? And who suffers for our increasing demands for convenience and efficiency? In this journey: We learn the secrets of Trader Joe's success from Trader Joe himself / Drive with truckers caught in a job they call "sharecropping on wheels". Break into industrial farms with activists to learn what it takes for a product to earn certification labels like "fair trade" and "free range". Follow entrepreneurs as they fight for shelf space, learning essential tips, tricks, and traps for any new food business. Journey with migrants to examine shocking forced labor practices through their eyes. The product of five years of research and hundreds of interviews across every level of the business, The Secret Life of Groceries is essential reading for those who want to understand our food system - delivering powerful social commentary on the inherently American quest for more and compassionate insight into the lives that provide it.

Please feel free to join us. We ask that you read at least 200 pages of the book if you wish to participate in the discussion.

New members are always welcome! All of our meetings are hybrid so you can join us in person at the Johnson Public Library or via Zoom. Email kathryn.cannarozzi@hackensack.bccls.org for Zoom information.

Questions? Contact Kate Cannarozzi, (201) 343-4169, kathryn.cannarozzi@hackensack.bccls.org