Extra Virginity

The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil

By: Tom Mueller

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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, LLC

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.