The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen

The Fish That Ate the Whale

Subtitle: The Life and Times of America's Banana King

Author: Rich Cohen

Genre: Narrative Nonfiction

Format: Physical purchase from The Painted Porch Bookstore

Publish Date: June 2012

Read: March 2024

Favorite Quote: Some facts about the banana:

It’s not a tree. It’s an herb, the world’s tallest grass. Reaching, in perfect conditions, thirty feet, it’s the largest plant in the world without a woody trunk. Its stem actually consists of banana leaves, big, thick elephant ears, coiled like a roll of dollar bills. As the plant grows, the stem uncoils, revealing new leaves, tender at first, rough at last. The fruit appears at the end of a cycle, growing from a stem that bends toward the ground under its own weight. Because the plant is an herb, not a tree, the banana is properly classed as a berry. The plant grows from a rhizome, which, in the way of a potato, has no roots.

Synopsis: Samuel Zemurray came to America in 1891, young and broke. He started earning money by selling bananas from a cart and, from there, built a massive banana empire. With a thick accent, intense presence, and iron will, Zemurray became one of the most powerful men in America when he took over the United Fruit Company. His network included Central American peasants, mercenaries, CIA agents, and American politicians. This story describes a little-known character in United States history who lived a rags-to-riches story.

Why does this book beguile? I initially heard of The Fish That Ate the Whale from Ryan Holiday and picked up this book when I had the chance to visit Holiday’s bookstore, The Painted Porch. I tend to enjoy narrative nonfiction books, but unfortunately, this book underwhelmed me. While the blurb sounds fascinating, the book jumped around timelines. The author stuck to the facts and then inserted his own opinion about what the reader should take away. Either let readers make up their own minds or write from a biased perspective (and own it).

Rating: 2/5

Link*: The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen

If you’re interested in this, read*: Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue by Ryan Holiday