Extra Virginity
The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil
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Narrated by:
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Peter Ganim
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By:
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Tom Mueller
About this listen
For millennia, fresh olive oil has been a necessity - for food, medicine, beauty, and religion. Today's researchers continue to confirm the remarkable, life-giving properties of true extra-virgin, and "extra-virgin Italian" has become the highest standard of quality. But what if this symbol of purity has become deeply corrupt?
Starting with an explosive article in The New Yorker, Tom Mueller has become the world's expert on olive oil and olive oil fraud - a story of globalization, deception, and crime from ancient times to the present, and a powerful indictment of today's lax protections against fake and even toxic food products in the United States. Extra Virginity is an inspiring account of the people who are defending the extraordinary oils that truly deserve the name "extra-virgin".
©2012 Tom Mueller (P)2011 Dreamscape Media, LLCListeners also enjoyed...
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Banana combines a pop-science journey around the globe, a fascinating tale of an iconic American business enterprise, and a look into the alternately tragic and hilarious banana subculture (one does exist) - ultimately taking us to the high-tech labs where new bananas are literally being built in test tubes, in a race to save the world's most beloved fruit.
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Very Good Book - History, Science, and Economics
- By Jose on 11-08-17
By: Dan Koeppel
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The Taste of Conquest
- The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice
- By: Michael Krondl
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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In this engaging, anecdotal history of food, world conquest, and desire, a chef-turned-journalist tells the story of three legendary cities, Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam, that transformed the globe in the quest for spice.
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Not that bad.
- By EmperorTab on 10-19-08
By: Michael Krondl
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The Juice
- Vinous Veritas: Essays
- By: Jay McInerney
- Narrated by: Jay McInerney
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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For more than a decade, Jay McInerney’s vinous essays, now featured in The Wall Street Journal, have been praised by restaurateurs (“Filled with small courses and surprising and exotic flavors, educational and delicious at the same time” —Mario Batali), by esteemed critics (“Brilliant, witty, comical, and often shamelessly candid and provocative” —Robert M. Parker Jr.), and by the media (“His wine judgments are sound, his anecdotes witty, and his literary references impeccable” — The New York Times).
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eye opener
- By FlGatorsGuy on 11-16-15
By: Jay McInerney
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Farmageddon
- The True Cost of Cheap Meat
- By: Philip Lymbery, Isabel Oakeshott
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Farm animals have been disappearing from our fields as the production of food has become a global industry. We no longer know for certain what is entering the food chain and what we are eating - as the UK horsemeat scandal demonstrated. We are reaching a tipping point as the farming revolution threatens our countryside, health, and the quality of our food wherever we live in the world.
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Excellent insight of industrial farming
- By Grazyna on 04-19-14
By: Philip Lymbery, and others
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Bourbon Empire
- The Past and Future of America's Whiskey
- By: Reid Mitenbuler
- Narrated by: Brian O'Neill
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Unraveling the many myths and misconceptions surrounding America's most iconic spirit, Bourbon Empire traces a history that spans frontier rebellion, Gilded Age corruption, and the magic of Madison Avenue. Whiskey has profoundly influenced America's political, economic, and cultural destiny, just as those same factors have inspired the evolution and unique flavor of the whiskey itself.
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Great whiskey history great American history
- By Larry G. on 06-16-15
By: Reid Mitenbuler
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Super Sushi Ramen Express
- One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan
- By: Michael Booth
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth, a Mecca for the world's greatest chefs, with more Michelin stars than any other country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content. Their creativity, dedication, and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi and ramen-saturated West.
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Interesting material that's well-narrated
- By John S. on 11-09-16
By: Michael Booth
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Napa
- By: James Conaway
- Narrated by: John Morgan
- Length: 20 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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James Conaway's remarkable bestseller delves into the heart of California's lush and verdant Napa Valley, also known as America's Eden. Long the source of succulent grapes and singular wines, this region is also the setting for the remarkable true saga of the personalities behind the winemaking empires. This is the story of Gallos and Mondavis, of fortunes made and lost, of dynasties and destinies.
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Excellent But Marred by Non-Stop Mispronunciations
- By Robert R. on 08-15-13
By: James Conaway
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The Triumph of Seeds
- How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History
- By: Thor Hanson
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life, supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and the humble peppercorn drove the Age of Discovery, so did coffee beans help fuel the Enlightenment and cottonseed help spark the Industrial Revolution. And from the fall of Rome to the Arab Spring, the fate of nations continues to hinge on the seeds of a Middle Eastern grass known as wheat.
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Delightfully simplistic!
- By Adrian on 03-30-16
By: Thor Hanson
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A History of the World in 6 Glasses
- By: Tom Standage
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period. A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola.
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Fun and Informative
- By Stoker on 09-09-11
By: Tom Standage
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A Man and His Mountain
- The Everyman Who Created Kendall-Jackson and Became America's Greatest Wine Entrepreneur
- By: Edward Humes
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist tells the story of the self-made billionaire who built the Kendall-Jackson empire from nothing into the biggest-selling brand of premium wines in the U.S. Jess Stonestreet Jackson was one of a small band of pioneering entrepreneurs who put California's wine country on the map. His life story is a compelling slice of history, daring, innovation, feuds, intrigue, talent, mystique, contrarianism, and luck, offering a unique window on the elegant, adventurous, and cut-throat worlds of Jackson's two passions: wine and horseracing.
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Required listening for any wine maker
- By Michael Carr on 01-10-15
By: Edward Humes
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The Big Necessity
- The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters
- By: Rose George
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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We prefer not to talk about it, but we should. Disease spread by waste kills more people worldwide every year than any other single cause of death. Even in America, nearly two million people have no access to an indoor toilet. Yet the subject remains unmentionable. Moving from the underground sewers of Paris, London, and New York (an infrastructure disaster waiting to happen) to an Indian slum where ten toilets are shared by 60,000 people, The Big Necessity breaks the silence, revealing everything that matters about how people do - and don't - deal with their own waste.
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Utterly fascinating
- By Clayton on 03-31-19
By: Rose George
What listeners say about Extra Virginity
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Gilbert J. Bradshaw
- 01-14-12
Fantastic Audiobook
What did you love best about Extra Virginity?
You will crave high-quality olive oil during and after reading this book. Fantastic narration, juicy history, and a nice dose of business and politics this book has it all. Olive Oil is such a rich topic, from mafiosos to Greek gods and models it is a truly rich subject. The author appreciates and is passionate about his subject.
What other book might you compare Extra Virginity to and why?
I compare this book to Onward (the autobiography of Starbucks founder) because the descriptions of the oil are much like the descriptions of the coffee roasts. They make you want to go to the nearest olive oil distributor!
Which character – as performed by Peter Ganim – was your favorite?
Peter Ganim is a fantastic narrator.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Steven
- 11-22-13
Great history of olive oil
What did you like best about Extra Virginity? What did you like least?
I enjoyed the first 25% of the book but after the next quarter i found myself fast forwarding to more repetitious chapters. I never finished the book. However for the money, it's worth it to learn this much about the history of olive oil while driving.
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- Pat
- 02-16-13
an informative 'read'
Is there anything you would change about this book?
i am interested in the overall topic of food production, its history and bumps along the way, including the adulteration along the way of various products, including olive oil. so this book is worth the time for a listen. it does go a bit slow, though. i think some tighter editing would have improved the book and made its overall message easier and quicker to absorb.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Extra Virginity?
the general description of how oil has been and is tampered with in its journey from the tree to the consumer is of central value to this book.
How could the performance have been better?
sadly, after listening to about 400 recorded books on this service, i found the narration of this title to be the worst i've encountered. ganim's reading of this book gets in the way of the story it is supposed to tell. this isn't a work of fiction where we want a bit of acting to spice up the characters. the fake accents of various interviewees were desperately poor and extremely annoying.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Heather
- 04-01-13
Excellent, keeps your interest!
I listened to this book in my car and really enjoyed it! Tom Mueller kept the subject fresh and relevant by introducing the reader to the history, and people (globally) that make olive oil the "liquid gold" that we consume. I will never buy a bottle again without reading the label. And I intend to educate myself on the flavor profiles of oil. This book is for the scholar, book-lover, agronomist, economist, traveler, foodie, and the casual cook alike.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Tim
- 02-24-17
Who Knew
Who knew that there was a book of olive oil. "Extra Virginity" was very interesting on olive oil Even though I don't cook, I know what food should taste like and olive oil is one of them. Interesting subject to study and taste.
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- G. Parlee
- 10-30-20
a bit repetitive
But interesting and informative. well read, It was a pleasure to listen to, and has made me want to explore olive oil a bit further. I enjoyed it.
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- Robert
- 12-26-12
Great subject, sad story
This book is a must-read if you are interested in where your food comes from, how it gets to your plate, and what is in it. Not all food has the same history and contorted path, but the threats are the same. Dilution, mislabeling, adulterating, and blatant cheating.
Like most popular items that carry a premium price - the masses want it cheaper and there are shady businesspeople that are willing to let them think they got a good deal. The power and quality of real olive oil is an amazing story. The artisans that bring it to the table have much history to share. Unfortunately, they are being squeezed out of business and the consumer is getting cheated by the same thing - lack of standards and meaningful rules that tell consumers what is in a product and where it came from so they can make an educated choice.
Hopefully, with more awareness things can be changed and the consumer will know what they are buying and eating.
The only thing I would change is the glossary at the end. This is of limited use in audio format and should be at the very end after the "Tips and Suggestions" for finding, buying, and using real olive oil.
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31 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-03-13
SHOCKING !
Would you consider the audio edition of Extra Virginity to be better than the print version?
Audio is good everyone should hear this book.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Very informative book. I loved the history but I did have a sad reaction to this book. I lost trust in the fact that no matter the integrity of generations, it can all be ruined by greed of a few.
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18 people found this helpful
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- BillB
- 07-12-13
Enlightening
Opens your eyes to the fraud committed with the majority of EVO on the grocery shelves and the blind eye the regulators turn towards it. Fraud of billions of dollars of either olive oil below extra virgin standards or adulterated with other oils. Not only cheats consumers but penalizes reputable makers by fake EVO below their cost to produce authentic EVO.
Along with showing the corruption in the olive oil industry this books also makes one appreciate the history of olives and the pure joy of tasting good oil.
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11 people found this helpful
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- Joyce
- 02-19-17
Extraordinary book.
I came so close to NOT buying this extraordinary book. I hope others will not be put off by the title, as I nearly was, finding it too cute for words. I hovered for quite a while and finally, Thank God, went for it. Except for the title there is not a word I would change. Peter Ganim is a marvelous narrator. He seemed so easy with the text, the people, and the Italian language I thought for the longest time he must be the author. The book is fascinating. I had no idea that there is so much to know about olive oil. I am ashamed of myself. My palate must be non-existent. Olive oil had always just been olive oil and if it cost enough and had "Extra Virgin" on the bottle I knew I was getting the best. Little did I know. And now I won't be able to enjoy bad olive oil ever again. What a loss, what?
But, seriously there is much to know. How did we as a species ever discover it? It was well disguised. First it was a bush that had to be coddled for eons before finally succumbing to becoming a tree ... and this millenia ago! And then the olive tree and the olive itself needs all kinds of constant fiddling with before it deigns to become oil or even edible. And one learns, as with wine, olive oils differ, depending on from whence they come. It seems impossible that the humankind I know ever had the patience to hang in there. But they did and prevailed. Now the great chefs have all sorts of varieties which they use only for this or on that. On top of all this olive oil, unlike nearly every other comestible from alcohol to nuts, are pretty much unregulated. The various oil brands are pretty much at liberty to label their product as they wish, and even go as far as to claim organiicity (if that's a word) when it ain't so.
The book is full of many great souls and some not so great .... There are Eureka moments such as the discovery by Dr. Gary Beecham, a most brave and estimable Professor who in the course of trying to pin down his discovery that Ibuprofen and olive oil share an important component, ingested horrible things for months on end for science and us..
I found myself listening to this segment or that again and again. There's just a lot I don't want to forget and want to be able to refer to in years to come. To this end I have made "clips" and "bookmarks" galore.
And dreadful things do unfold, of course; millions of olives trees destroyed by war and pestilence, crooks, cartels, and just a hay day of shenanigans. But, on the whole, there is something about this book, (whether its the writing, the narrator, both???) that is, well, friendly, welcoming. I think Tom Mueller thinks I know more than I do, He kind of treats me as a fellow, an equal who is just interested in knowing a little bit more. Intentionally or not, there's something just plain delightful in the way this history unfolds. I found myself smiling a lot and also found it very hard to put the thing down.
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