Hunger : an unnatural history / Sharman Apt Russell.

This book explores the range of this primal experience, a biological process that transcends nature to shape the fabric of societies. In a survey of centuries of thought on hunger's unique power, she discovers an ability to adapt to it that is nothing short of miraculous. From the fasting saints of the early Christian church to activists like Mahatma Gandhi, generations have used hunger to make spiritual and political statements. Russell highlights these cases where hunger can inspire and even heal, but she also addresses the devastating impact of starvation on cultures around the world today.--From publisher description.