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When Mark Kurlansky decides to write about a topic, he puts his entire body and soul into his work. His previous books, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World and Salt: A World History are brilliant. His newest release, The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell investigates the history and fate of New York's oyster beds. The huge oyster beds of the Hudson once held half the world's supply. Through pollution, corruption, and indifference that wealth of oysters is now all but gone. Kurlansky's history of this environmental disaster is not only a fascinating look at a memorable culinary era but also is a history of New York City herself, full of rich characters, places, and historical incidents.