One aspect of Allegra Goodman's The Cookbook Collector that intrigued me the most was that the characters pegged as being "dreamers" by everyone else are actually the ones who have the greatest insights. For instance, Emily constantly worries that her sister Jessica is wasting her potential by earning a philosophy degree and volunteering with Save the Trees, rather than "embarking" on a career as their mother had hoped (10). However, Jess constantly demonstrates that the critical thinking skills she has gained through studying philosophy (and perhaps her innate curiosity) actually lead to important discoveries. This is evident in the two sisters' perceptions of Emily's fiance Jonathan, who lies about the success of his company and steals Emily's product idea by claiming that it will lead to a happier future (154). While Emily convinces herself that Jonathan's competitiveness does not interfere with his treatment of others (164), Jess identifies him as "another greedy, techno-freak gazillionaire" (205). While Emily is initially offended by Jess's comments, she realizes at Jonathan's funeral that if he had not been killed, he would have "appropriated" her data tracking system (351).
Jess also shows that her imaginative side is valuable to her future love interest George, who is involved in an appraisal of an immensely valuable cookbook collection. While George, an "experienced" book buyer, fixates on how to outbid his competitor Raj (220), Jess realizes the owner, Sandra, wants someone to listen to her more than she wants money (221). By having a serious conversation with Sandra, Jess learns the complex circumstances surrounding Sandra's reluctance to sell her books and ultimately persuades her to sell them to George (227). Rather than being driven by profit, Jess is lead by emotion, and a genuine desire to understand others. Although she is called emotional and idealistic, her ability to empathize and reflect upon the behaviors of others is actually key to her success.
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