Lunch has become the meal most often eaten in public although there are plenty of people who still enjoy eating alone at home in privacy and without distractions. Megan Elias is an associate professor of history at Queensborough Community College and the author of two other books on food. With commendable elan and creativity, she has arranged the material in this overview of lunch into a global feast with insights abounding from different places and cultures.

Although lunch is a necessity for most people, there is a world of difference between how it is handled at the family table, in an automat, as a picnic in the park, in a crowded hamburger joint, seated up against the wall in the city, in a pizza place, in a fancy restaurant, or eating out of a lunch-box at work. Whether explaining the lunch bell, the power lunch, the painting "Luncheon on the Grass" by Edward Manet, or the setting a New York City deli in a famous modern film When Harry Met Sally; Elias proves to be a versatile and clever guide to lunches.

This delightful book is part of The Meals Series edited by Ken Albala.