"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

lotech@evpl — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:54:00 GMT

This is a fascinating discussion of our relationship to the food we eat. Mr. Pollan first discusses the familiar Industrial Agricultural system, a topic that's been covered by many other books in one way or another, but Pollan provides a good overview to the problems this system presents us. I didn't care for what I felt a too extensive discussion of his coy conceit that corn has selected us to guarantee its existence, but that's a minor flaw in an otherwise overwhelmingly impressively persuasive book. Much has been written about the mass production of animals and plants for food, but Pollan may be more accessible to readers disliking shock prose and photos; no photos in this book, just very effective writing, reasoned, but passionate. Pollan interestingly writes of "Big Organic" and notes the limitations of mass produced "organic" foods. He's at his best however when he discusses the emotional issues of vegetarianism and the killing of animals for food both by raising/killing animals for food and by hunting.

The omnivores' dilemma turns out to be based on our emotional awareness of our intricate relationship and dependence on the "non-human" world. Mr. Pollan has lived and written a thoughful exploration of this relationship. As his final effort, he attempts to cook a meal based only on plants harvested from a garden and animals he has himself hunted/killed for this meal. His final pages powerfully mediatate on what our attitudes should be toward the food we often take for granted.

Earlier this summer this was a selection for two local book discusssion groups; Im sure those discussions were lively. This book was published in 2006.

Books Blog : Hunting

"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan