Book 11. The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma-A Natural History of Four Meals. By Michael Pollan.

This book first began to change my life before I even read it. Precisely how many years before I read it, I am unclear. I can tell you, at some point, sugar started to disappear in my house. It existed in only pure forms and small quantities, dolled out by my wife. Processed foods also faded dramatically. Starting my own company and spending many hours on the road, the effect wasn't as immediate on me as my children. But one weekend, I gently asked what was up? Her response was swift and brief. She told me to read this book. I am re-reading it now as a prelude to In Defense of Food (which I haven't read).

It is perhaps easier to explain this book by destroying pre-conceptions. It's not a vegan book, although it has a lot in it for vegans. It's not an extended sermon on the Holiness of the organic movement. In fact, it excoriates as much as it lauds. Most likely, it will move you toward local, small-batch, sustainable food sources. That, I suppose, is the spoiler. And yet it isn't. Because you can't begin to make decisions about local ecology, the global environment, GMO's, pesticides, fertilizers without knowing how they're used. If you care about what you ingest, start with The Omnivore's Dilemma.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan | Goodreads