In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
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Book Reviews of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
Book Review: Wow!
Summary: 5 Stars
I couldn't think of a "title" for my review that would do this book justice. It is life-changing. The author gives the best arguments, that I have ever read, for changing the way we eat. And we are, indeed, in the process of changing! The intertwined relationship of the food industry, government, media and science when it comes to 'nutritionism' is a puzzle I wouldn't have thought to piece together on my own. I'm so thankful Mr. Pollan did and that he so eloquently explained it for us. His scattered references to the theory of evolution are unfortunate and far-fetched, but I don't think they nullify his arguments as a whole.
My husband has been to France. He said there are absolutely NO artificial sweeteners anywhere to be found. Outdoor markets are the norm. In many restaurants all the place settings at the tables are set up. When you are finished, they don't set up for following customers (first come, only served). It may take 10 minutes before your water is refilled. In other words, they expect you to take your time.
Book Review: Eye opening
Summary: 5 Stars
"In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" are two books that opened my eyes to a lot of things. What I like about "In Defense of Food" is that it isn't a "diet book." It doesn't say "eat this, not that, carbs make you fat, food mixing, etc." Pollan doesn't try and sell himself as a "diet guru" or "health expert". Pollan simply identifies what the Western diet is, why it's become that way, and what its effects have been. It's really scary to think where a lot of the stuff we call "food" comes from and what's been done to it.
"Dieting", and really "what to eat" makes so much more sense after reading this book. Eat "food" (if it didn't exist 200 years ago, it's probably not food), mostly plants (raw foods contain a lot of vitamins, nutrients, and other stuff to keep us health), not too much (apparently we stop eating based more on visual cues than actual satiety). I've read a lot of "diet books" and this is the only book that makes sense. I think of you follow what Pollan is saying, you'll know what to eat to be healthy.
Book Review: A nice reminder of how to eat.
Summary: 5 Stars
Sometimes I am not good about eating my fruit and vegetables so this book was a helpful reminder that I need to eat better and stay away from processed foods. I forget how processed cereals and other food products have their vitamins and minerals injected. I am a label reader so I mistakenly get sucked into the health claims and forget about the other unknown ingredients listed. I don't want to get fat and I want to live as long as possible (even though I know that is not always guaranteed), so this book is a nice reminder of what I need to do. My husband and I will be joining a CSA because we want to eat organic food and support our local farmers, not the manufacturers that ruin the soil and use so many chemicals. If you enjoyed this book, you would probably enjoy Fast Food Nation as well. I wish everyone cared to read this book. Unfortunately, many people look at fruit and vegetables as the worst food in the world to ingest. The image on the book might scare many people away, other than that the book was informative and easy to read.Book Review: Enlightening
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is the most well-written and enlightening book that I have read in years. I recommend packaging it with the documentary Food Inc. (which Michael Pollan narrates).
My husband and I now know that we DO have a choice about where our food comes from and what goes into our kids' mouths. We will join a local CSA this spring and begin to buy our beef from a local farmer. We will teach our children that food comes from the earth, not a flourescent-lit grocery store.
Perhaps the statistic that startled me the most is this: in 1960 "Americans spent 17.5% of their income on food and 5.2% of national income on health care." Today, "spending on food has fallen to 9.9%, while spending on health care has climbed to 16% of national income." We have our priorities mixed up!
And, interestingly, the obesity of children is widely blamed on television and video games -- not the food industry's mindless injection of sugar and chemicals into our food.
Book Review: Buy it, read it! You can eat flavorful food and be healthy.
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Pollan does a good job in the this book showing how people with good intentions (and some with just profit-seeking ones) have changed how food is produced, distributed, and consumed in the post-1985 United States of America. This book begins by following the historical events that brought the US food industry and American eating habits to their current state as described in Polland's previous book, The Omnivore's Dillemma (sorry, I can't underline the book title). It goes on to help the reader navigate the current supermarket and farmer's market offerings to find their own place somewhere between impossibly expensive sustainably-grown farm products and mass-marketed potentially harmful processed food-stuffs.
It is a short book, but it does not cost much, either. They acknowledgements at the end are extensive. Pollan appreciates the people who help him produce a quality book, and they should be mentioned in it.
Richard