This was another book I randomly picked up at the library. I have to say that I’ve always found cannibalism to be among the most horrifying and disturbing of ideas, and perhaps that is why I found the book so absorbing. Travis-Henikoff argues that, contrary to what some have claimed in recent years, cannibalism was a common feature in all human societies throughout history and only recently have situations changed enough to permit the current attitude of horror towards what could mean life or death to a people. She backs her arguments with many interesting evidence from human genetic codes to civilizations throughout the world. In the end, Travis-Henikoff illustrates how even cannibalism can become an accepted practice in a culture. Often going back to theme that cannibals often chose life over death when situations demanded, she explains how such practices evolved into complex patterns of culture, from those who ate their enemies out of hatred to those who ate their dead family members out of love, with no group sharing the same attitudes.
However, I think she is a better anthropologist than historian, falling into common stereotypes to describe Medieval Europe society and often goes into long personal asides describing her interest in unusual delicacies in general, from delicious and nutritious brains to the flavor of tongues (I think I was most disturbed by these scenes, linked so closely to the books main themes, since in mammals, they all taste the same). In the end an extremely disturbing but interesting read that definitely makes one think about human nature and culture.