:The $64 Tomato
{{Short description|Memoir of a gardening project}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox book
| italic title =
| name = The $64 Tomato
| image = The_$64_Tomato_cover.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| author = William Alexander
| subject = Gardening
| genre = Nonfiction
| publisher = Algonquin Books
| pub_date = 2006
| awards =
| isbn = 9781565125032
| oclc =
| dewey =
| congress =
| notes =
| website = http://williamalexander.com/books.cfm
}}
The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden is a nonfiction book by William Alexander, published in 2006. The $64 Tomato was a nominee for Quill Award in the debut author of the year category{{r|tagami}} and was selected for the 2006 National Book Festival.{{r|loc}}
Summary
The $64 Tomato is a memoir of Alexander's gardening project. When he and his family purchased a home with several acres in a small town in New York, he was determined to use some of the property to create a {{convert|2000|sqft|abbr=on}} organic garden. Alexander documents his adventures battling pests, weeds, plant diseases, deer, and a persistent groundhog he names Superchuck. After several years of gardening, he calculates that each Brandywine tomato he grew and harvested cost him $64.
Author
William Alexander is the director of technology at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York.{{r|wadler}} He graduated from the University at Albany with a degree in English literature.{{r|bio}} He is married to Anne Mullin, an internist,{{r|wadler}} and they have two children.{{r|bio}}
In addition to The $64 Tomato, Alexander has written op-eds for The New York Times.{{r|bio}}
Reception
Kirkus Reviews describes it as "An amusing compilation of do's and don'ts for aspiring gardeners afflicted with hubris."{{r|kirkus}} Publishers Weekly says "this hilarious horticultural memoir ... manages to impart an existential lesson on the interconnectedness of nature and the fine line between nurturing and killing."{{r|pw}}
Constance Casey, writing in The New York Times Book Review, says Alexander's writing is "engaging, well paced and informative".{{r|casey}} In The New York Times Magazine, Holly Brubach recommends The $64 Tomato to prevent "Obsessive Gardening Syndrome" and says Alexander's "timing and his delivery are flawless".{{r|brubach}} Anthony Doerr, in The Boston Globe, calls the book a "quick and very entertaining summer read".{{r|doerr}}
= Additional reviews=
- The Star-Democrat (Easton, Maryland){{r|stinson}}
- Charlotte Observer{{r|grissom}}
- The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina){{r|lembke}}
- The Honolulu Advertiser{{r|conroy}}
- Rutland Daily Herald (Vermont){{r|nemethy}}
- Library Journal{{r|obrien}}
- School Library Journal{{r|dennington}}
- The Booklist{{r|haggas}}
- The Christian Century{{r|hertzler}}
- The Washington Post{{r|richardson}}
References
External links
- [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5360768 NPR interview and book excerpt]
- [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/13/garden/a-long-row-to-hoe-to-avoid-a-storebought-tomato.html New York Times interview]
{{DEFAULTSORT:64 Tomato, The}}