Eating is the only true universal. Taxes can be evaded, death strikes once, but everybody eats. Wilson takes us on a guided tour of the history of the kitchen, from the humble wooden spoon to the latest gizmos of molecular gastronomy. The technology of cooking informs cuisine, culture, family life, and architecture. The act of applying heat to meat, vegetables, or dough is one of the things that makes us human, but there is a great distance between the roaring open hearth, and the silent glow of an induction heater.

Consider the Fork is light, erudite, informative, and always interesting. If I were still in the business of assigning STS readings to undergrads, I'd strongly consider a chapter or two. Since I'm not, everybody who cooks should read this book.