The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael PollanEdition: Paperback
Published: 2007-08-28
ISBN: 0143038583
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Penguin
Book Reviews of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Book Review: Read this book before eating another meal!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Omnivore's Dilemma should be required reading for every single American, period. American culture, especially, has developed an assembly line, industrial, one-size-fits-all approach that serves corporate culture and the bottom line. The result has been catastrophic for Americans at the dinner table. If this sounds extreme, then you haven't read the book. Since reading the book, and being the principal cook in my family, I will not serve feedlot beef, period, since it always comes from livestock that are, to some extent, sick. That's why feedlot steers are given antibiotics that pasture fed steers don't require.
The Omnivore's Dilemma is in no way a dry, technical or statistics-based book. It is written in a light, entertaining and witty style while presenting a detailed narrative of the various experiences of the author. He prepares for a series of meals, the first of which is at McDonald's, following a thorough investigation of the progress of a young calf, which he purchased, from the pasture to the feedlot and finally to becoming the contents of a golden arches burger. Then he goes in pursuit of truly awesome nutrition, taking the reader to Polyface Farm where "the animals do all the work" (well, almost), and consumers drive considerable distances to purchase the beef, chickens, swine, turkeys and eggs from the farm. Once you have explored the Polyface Farm philosophy, you may find yourself asking, repeatedly, "Why aren't all Americans demanding that we raise food in this way?"
The Omnivore's Dilemma is simply essential. If you haven't read it, you are way, way out of the loop.
Summary of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
A New York Times bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of the food chains that sustain us?whether industrial or organic, alternative or processed?he develops a portrait of the American way of eating. The result is a sweeping, surprising exploration of the hungers that have shaped our evolution, and of the profound implications our food choices have for the health of our species and the future of our planet.History Books
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