Aronson, M., & Budhos, M. (2010). Sugar
changed the world; a story of magic, spice, slavery, freedom, and science. Boston:
Clarion Books.
Not
to be confused with a dry textbook approach, this book fascinates with a
history, geography and economics lesson all wrapped up in a narrative that is
easily read and understood. From the sugar
cane discoveries of Alexander the Great to the science of saccharine and
Splenda™, the authors weave a story that entices the reader and illustrates our
dependence not only on the sugar we consume, but on the labor that produces it.
The book is filled with images from photo archives, drawings, and maps that support
the text and pique interest in the authors’ exploration of the role sugar has
played in creating the world we live in.
Aronson and Budhos do not shy away from the difficult discussions of
slavery, the exploitation of workers, the relationship between producers and
consumers, and the bloody roots of freedom and liberty. Framed within an individual tale of each
author’s family connection to sugar, the book is completely readable and surprisingly
personal.
Anyone
who strives to understand why our histories as a multicultural world are
irrevocably tied together should investigate this piece of writing. The role of Haiti in the sugar/slave trade and
their continuing repercussions in its current situation will be particularly
interesting for those students motivated towards social justice issues. Other current events topics include the role
of Islam in spreading knowledge and scientific investigation, the origins of Caribbean
music and Jazz as responses to a life of slavery, the similarities between the
plight of sugar laborers to those who labor today in the sweatshops of India,
and the difficulties of assimilating the poor immigrant worker into his/her
rightful place in society. Sugar Changed the World does not present
itself as a textbook yet it could be used in Social Studies, History,
Government and Economics classrooms across the country. Excerpted material would be appropriate in a study
of Jazz or Caribbean music and much of the book lends itself well towards
strengthening proficiency in summarizing, finding the main idea and discovering
cause and effect relationships. The
vocabulary, while occasionally challenging, is presented with adequate context
and explanation so as to make it accessible to all readers. For example, the Sanskrit word khanda (meaning a piece of sugar) is the
origin of the English word “candy”; the authors present this kind of
information throughout the text to connect today’s reader with the past (p. 13).
Because of the unflinching examination
of slavery and other topics, the book is best used with Middle and High School
students who are more capable of examining complex and potentially troubling issues.
The authors provide links to material that is relevant
and supportive:
Marc Aronson Homepage (provides links to pages for teacher lesson plans and other material Aronson has written)
Marina Budhos Homepage
(provides information about Budhos and her other work, in addition to interesting pieces from other authors)
Sugar Changed the World Homepage
(connections to the music of the Caribbean, teacher guides for using the book, web links to photography used in the book that is available to download for white boards, etc)
How Sugar is Made
All images in the book are black and white or sepia
toned, however use the author provided links to the color images on the Web for class use if desired. There is also an excellent
timeline at the back of the book that could be used for a variety of purposes.
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