Amazon Midwest Maize Category:  History Publisher: University of Illinois Press ISBN-10:  0252080572 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 296 Copyright: February 15, 2015 ISBN-13: 9780252080579 Price: $19.95 (eBook) Corn (maize) fed Native Americans, saved early settlers, and then went on to transform the world. Thanks to corn, the Midwest was settled faster than any other region in history and wove itself into the fabric of our nation. From the Oaxaca region in Mexico, a grain arose that was to become one of the most important foods on the planet. It would spread across the Americas and then, in time, span the globe. However, nowhere was its impact greater than in the region that would come to bear its name: the Corn Belt. As corn made it possible to build the Midwest, it also became part of the sweeping saga of the transformation of everything from agriculture to home cooking. Learn how the rise of corn is connected to vampires, the Chicago Bears, Abraham Lincoln, and time zones. Find out how breakfast cereal and snack foods were created. Discover the cultural connections that shaped the foodways of the Midwest, from the Great Migration of African Americans to the influx of Mexicans, which started in the late 1800s, to the many Asian and European groups who adopted corn once they arrived. In addition to fascinating history, there are also recipes for historic foods that nourished the pioneers and early settlers. And last but not least, learn why knowing about corn is so important, as we try to feed the world's growing population and consider issues from making ethanol to genetically modifying foods. Excerpt Today, more corn is grown and harvested in the United States than wheat and rice combined—nearly 73 million acres are dedicated to the growing of corn. As it had done for the Maya, so corn did for the United States: it enabled a few to feed the many, so that endeavors other than agriculture might flourish. The Maya owed their mathematics, astronomy, and architecture more to Zea mays than to anything else. For us, it offered not only the freedom to pursue other things, but also the inspiration and even the raw materials for developing far beyond the almost entirely agricultural societies from which the country’s population emigrated. As Margaret Visser noted in her classic work Much Depends on Dinner, “Without corn, North America —and most particularly modern, technological North America—is inconceivable.” Corn has an impact on almost everyone. Life would be completely different—and a lot more expensive—without it. -from the Introduction

Fresh Look
"A comprehensive, clear-eyed view of the plant that made America what it is today. The author's focus on the Midwest provides both a fresh look and a splendid overview of the importance of this central region, not only in building our nation but also in establishing our place in the world's agriculture and economy."

--Betty Fussell, author of The Story of Corn

Delightful to Read
"Cynthia Clampitt tells the lively saga of the maize's rise from obscure origins in Mesoamerica to the Midwest's--and America's-- most significant crop. It is consumed in seemingly unending ways, from straight off the cob to ingredients in thousands of processed foods. It is the main ingredient in animal feed and it is even converted into the ethanol that powers our cars. Corn is inextricably linked to Midwestern history, and Clampitt tells the incredible tale well. Midwest Maize is carefully researched, insightful and delightful to read."

--Andrew F. Smith, author of Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American History

Richly Detailed
"Cynthia Clampitt has given us a richly detailed cultural history of corn, from its origins in Mexico to the mega-crop that is planted on millions of acres of Midwestern land today. She also provides a balanced discussion of corn's role in providing both food and fuel in the years to come. This book is a must-read for anyone following the debates over food, land use, and healthy environments in today's world."

--John C. Hudson, author of Making the Corn Belt