Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. Today—in an era of industrial food production and the prevalence of fast food, when "capitalism has severed life from the land"—an increasing number of people are taking an interest in "natural," "homemade" food and the art of preserving it. Thien Uyen Do, a former environmental lawyer, lives in the south of France, where she cultivates a vineyard with her husband. After becoming captivated by fermentation, she discovered that the process holds incredible creative potential; furthermore, exploring the "invisible world" of microorganisms broadened her horizons, prompting her to rethink her views on life and death, the collective and the individual, cooperation, and empathy. Thien Uyen Do has successfully combined her professional background and personal experiments with fermentation into a fascinating book that sheds light on the ecological, social, and political potential of age-old culinary traditions. The work is infused with the thrill of discovery, a deep reverence for nature, and a keen interest in history.