The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Book Review: Eyeopening
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Pollan has produced a truly eyeopening work. The Omnivore's Dilemma is an indictment not just of factory farming and the industrial production of food, whose cruelties and inhumanities we all have to be aware of, intellectually if not in actuality, but of the Western diet and the ill health and assorted other problems it causes.
Reading this book strips away some comforting fantasies: free range chickens only get to spend a few days "outdoors", government programs designed to produce more corn make even less economic sense than the old Depression era programs to reduce production, etc, etc.
As Pollan rightly points out, the dilemma we face seems insurmountable, and even when we can make some changes, new problems inevitably surface. While we would all love to get our food exclusively from places like Polyface Farm, the realities of population and climate (among many others) make that impossible.
Pollan reveals these difficult truths in an engaging, memoir-like style. The people he meets and writes about are pleasant and the circumstances interesting. Even though you might (and should) feel revolted by some of what Pollan reveals, you should read The Omnivore's Dilemma for a better understanding of one of the major quandaries of our time.
Book Review: Mindful eating
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book after reading an interview with Pollan in "The Sun" magazine. He's an excellent writer and speaker (he lectures widely, including at events like "The Bioneers" conference), and does a good job of describing how we can change the world by changing our eating habits. Corporate chieftains fear how organic vegetables and the slow food movement threaten to trim a couple percentage points off of their profit margins. No doubt agribusiness and big oil will be working to impose their model on other nations - like Iraq, where a former executive of Cargill was appointed to Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture (see "The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time" by Antonia Juhasz). This movement against industrial agriculture is world-wide. Indian author Vandana Shiva has studied and battled agri-cartels for decades, and the manner in which they destroy the more appropriate modes of farming practiced by many small farmers throughout the world (see Shiva's "Monoculture of the Mind").
Pollan has valid criticisms of the "big organic" stores like Whole Foods and Wild Oats, but they are a vast improvement over the omnipresent McDonalds and KFCs.
In addition to Pollan's efforts, Eric Schloser's "Fast Food Nation" and documentaries like "Super Size Me" and "The Future of Food" have already resulted in healthier food choices for hundreds of thousands of people, and school districts across the country are being pressed to offer young people real food.
Purchasing "Omnivore's Dilemma" not only provides an excellent read, but also the info to empower us to become advocates for healthier living, and a less toxic planet.
"On the other side, you have the 'slow-food' movement, which wants to bring back cultural traditions regarding food, to promote agricultural biodiversity, and to show that food can be indulged in safely. It's not a scolding movement; it's based around pleasure and recognizes that at some point taste has to come into this. If you can educate people's palates, they will find a cheeseburger from McDonald's incredibly diappointing." -Michael Pollan, "The Sun" May 2006
Book Review: I'll never look at food the same way
Summary: 5 Stars
The Omnivore's Dilemma is part a chronicle of Pollan's trip up and down various food chains as well as an informative account of how food is brought to your table. There are several eye-opening facts presented in 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'...things that most of us never really think about, such as: the amount of energy expended to bring a meal to your table (or car), or that 'if we are what we eat, we're basically a corn chip with arms and legs.'
The section on 'Big Organic' was a lesson on how the purest of ideas can be corrupted by the quest for the almighty dollar and the introduction of industrial methods. It illustrates how the term organic has become a commodity in and of itself and how the word really means little, especially when these products are caught up in the large food supply chain of a Whole Foods.
The most fascinating section of the book was the discourse on the farming methods and philosophy of Joel Saletan. Saletan proves that his concept of 'beyond organic' is both profitable and sustainable. It's a fascinating story, and one that offers hope and a true alternative.
Many books of this nature are all doom and gloom. Although Pollan presents some disturbing facts, the alternatives presented (such as the example of Saletan's Polyface Farm) make this book worthwhile.
Book Review: Mind-boggling!
Summary: 5 Stars
The information contained in this text is simply mind-boggling. The author has done a brilliant job researching and writing this intriguing book about our nation's food supply. It answers the questions we have always wondered but no pursued; What does organic really mean? How much corn do we consume? Why is corn subsidized by the US government? Can a farm be a self-contained unit or must we industrialize farming? How can we slaughter chickens for food at only 2 months of age? The answer: CORN.
This book receives a high recommendation from me, especially for those inquisitive minds out there.
Book Review: Ignorance is NOT Bliss
Summary: 4 Stars
Finally a well written book that makes people think about our dependence on animals and our planet. For a real eye-opener, I suggest buying or renting the documentary "Earthlings". Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, it has won several awards. You will never look at food, or our treatment of animals, in the same way again. Not for the faint of heart, but I wish every person on this planet were forced to watch it.