Habeas Codfish: Reflections on Food and the Law
The author of this meaty collection of essays about legal cases involving food is not only an attorney but also Chief Mustard Officer of Wisconsin's Mount Horeb Mustard Museum. His book, then, represents the melding of two passions, law and food. It's carefully presented, entertaining, and downright fascinating. Who would have thought food could play such a central role in so many legal battles? Although the book details plenty of cases involving food that was too hot or infested with inappropriate lifeforms, it also touches on some more complex issues. What, for instance, is the legal definition of a meal? Or, when the inventor of a particular dish sells the recipe to someone else but then decides to market the dish, who has the legal right to use the dish's famous name? There's also the story of a woman who sued a restaurant because it did not sell a breakfast advertised as "available at participating stores." She sued for two-billion dollars. (Well, she was hungry!) A thoroughly enjoyable and endlessly eyeopening book.David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved