Sarah Bowen – författare

Food is at the center of national debates about how Americans live and the future of the planet. Not everyone agrees about how to reform our relationship to food, but one suggestion rises above the din: We need to get back in the kitchen. Amid concerns about rising rates of obesity and diabetes, unpronounceable ingredients, and the environmental footprint of industrial agriculture, food reformers implore parents to slow down, cook from scratch, and gather around the dinner table. Making food a priority, they argue, will lead to happier and healthier families. But is it really that simple? In this riveting and beautifully-written book, Sarah Bowen, Joslyn Brenton, and Sinikka Elliott take us into the kitchens of nine women to tell the complicated story of what it takes to feed a family today. All of these mothers love their children and want them to eat well. But their kitchens are not equal. From cockroach infestations and stretched budgets to picky eaters and conflicting nutrition advice, Pressure Cooker exposes how modern families struggle to confront high expectations and deep-seated inequalities around getting food on the table.Based on extensive interviews and field research in the homes and kitchens of a diverse group of American families, Pressure Cooker challenges the logic of the most popular foodie mantras of our time, showing how they miss the mark and up the ante for parents and children. Romantic images of family meals are inviting, but they create a fiction that does little to fix the problems in the food system. The unforgettable stories in this book evocatively illustrate how class inequality, racism, sexism, and xenophobia converge at the dinner table. If we want a food system that is fair, equitable, and nourishing, we must look outside the kitchen for answers.

Food is at the center of national debates about how Americans live and the future of the planet. Not everyone agrees about how to reform our relationship to food, but one suggestion rises above the din: home-cooked meals. Amid concerns about obesity and diabetes, unpronounceable ingredients, and the environmental footprint of industrial agriculture, food reformers implore parents to slow down, cook from scratch, and gather around the dinner table. Voting with your fork, they argue, will lead to happier and healthier families. But is it really that simple? Informed by extensive interviews and observations with families, Pressure Cooker examines how deep-seated differences shape the work done in kitchens across America. Conversations about family meals are dominated by a relentless focus on what individuals can better do to improve their own health and the health of their families and the nation. This book looks closely at the lives of nine diverse families to demonstrate how family meals are profoundly shaped by what happens inside and outside people's homes. The scenes contained in this book contrast with the joyful images we see on cooking shows or read about in cookbooks. Romantic images of family meals are inviting. But they create a food fiction that does little to fix the problems in the food system. Even worse, they contribute to the pressure on families-and in particular, mothers-to strive for an ideal that has never been simple to achieve. A day of food reckoning cannot come without considering how class inequality, racism, sexism, and xenophobia pass through the kitchen. To ensure a food system that is fair and equitable, we must move the conversation out of the kitchen.

Divided Spirits tells the stories of tequila and mezcal, two of Mexico's most iconic products. In doing so, the book illustrates how neoliberalism influences the production, branding, and regulation of local foods and drinks. It also challenges the strategy of relying on "alternative" markets to protect food cultures and rural livelihoods. In recent years, as consumers increasingly demand to connect with the people and places that produce their food, the concept of terroir - the taste of place - has become more and more prominent. Tequila and mezcal are both protected by denominations of origin (DOs), legal designations that aim to guarantee a product's authenticity based on its link to terroir. Advocates argue that the DOs expand market opportunities, protect cultural heritage, and ensure the reputation of Mexico's national spirits. Yet this book shows how the institutions that are supposed to guard "the legacy of all Mexicans" often fail those who are most in need of protection: the small producers, agave farmers, and other workers who have been making tequila and mezcal for generations.The consequences-for the quality and taste of tequila and mezcal, and for communities throughout Mexico-are stark. Divided Spirits suggests that we must move beyond market-based models if we want to safeguard local products and the people who make them. Instead, we need systems of production, consumption, and oversight that are more democratic, more inclusive, and more participatory. Lasting change is unlikely without the involvement of the state and a sustained commitment to addressing inequality and supporting rural development.

Divided Spirits tells the stories of tequila and mezcal, two of Mexico's most iconic products. In doing so, the book illustrates how neoliberalism influences the production, branding, and regulation of local foods and drinks. It also challenges the strategy of relying on "alternative" markets to protect food cultures and rural livelihoods. In recent years, as consumers increasingly demand to connect with the people and places that produce their food, the concept of terroir-the taste of place-has become more and more prominent. Tequila and mezcal are both protected by denominations of origin (DOs), legal designations that aim to guarantee a product's authenticity based on its link to terroir. Advocates argue that the DOs expand market opportunities, protect cultural heritage, and ensure the reputation of Mexico's national spirits. Yet this book shows how the institutions that are supposed to guard "the legacy of all Mexicans" often fail those who are most in need of protection: the small producers, agave farmers, and other workers who have been making tequila and mezcal for generations.The consequences-for the quality and taste of tequila and mezcal, and for communities throughout Mexico-are stark. Divided Spirits suggests that we must move beyond market-based models if we want to safeguard local products and the people who make them. Instead, we need systems of production, consumption, and oversight that are more democratic, more inclusive, and more participatory. Lasting change is unlikely without the involvement of the state and a sustained commitment to addressing inequality and supporting rural development.

This authoritative book--now revised and expanded with important clinical and research advances--presents a proven approach for helping people meet the day-to-day challenges of recovery from addiction and maximize their well-being. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) integrates carefully tailored meditation practices with cognitive and behavioral skills building. In a convenient large-size format, the book includes instructions for setting up and running MBRP groups, session-by-session implementation guidelines, sample scripts, and 27 reproducible handouts and forms. Purchasers can download and print the reproducible materials at the companion website, which also features audio recordings of the guided practices. A separate website for clients provides the audio files only.New to This Edition*Reflects clinical refinements, the growing MBRP evidence base, and advances in knowledge about both addictive behaviors and mindfulness.*Section on cutting-edge topics--culturally responsive adaptations, alternative group formats and settings, dual diagnosis groups, behavioral addictions, and uses of technology.*Reproducible appendices: MBRP Fidelity Scale and quick-reference guide to the intentions of each session.*Audio recordings now available online.

This authoritative book--now revised and expanded with important clinical and research advances--presents a proven approach for helping people meet the day-to-day challenges of recovery from addiction and maximize their well-being. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) integrates carefully tailored meditation practices with cognitive and behavioral skills building. In a convenient large-size format, the book includes instructions for setting up and running MBRP groups, session-by-session implementation guidelines, sample scripts, and 27 reproducible handouts and forms. Purchasers can download and print the reproducible materials at the companion website, which also features audio recordings of the guided practices. A separate website for clients provides the audio files only.New to This Edition*Reflects clinical refinements, the growing MBRP evidence base, and advances in knowledge about both addictive behaviors and mindfulness.*Section on cutting-edge topics--culturally responsive adaptations, alternative group formats and settings, dual diagnosis groups, behavioral addictions, and uses of technology.*Reproducible appendices: MBRP Fidelity Scale and quick-reference guide to the intentions of each session.*Audio recordings now available online.