The Omnivore's Dilemma

ByMichael Pollan

Release Date: 2006-04-11
Genre: Diet & Nutrition

Score: 4

From 426 Ratings

Description

"Outstanding . . . a wide-ranging invitation to think through the moral ramifications of our eating habits." —The New Yorker

One of the New York Times Book Review's Ten Best Books of the Year and Winner of the James Beard Award

Author of This is Your Mind on Plants, How to Change Your Mind and the #1 New York Times Bestseller In Defense of Food and Food Rules

What should we have for dinner? Ten years ago, Michael Pollan confronted us with this seemingly simple question and, with The Omnivore’s Dilemma, his brilliant and eye-opening exploration of our food choices, demonstrated that how we answer it today may determine not only our health but our survival as a species. In the years since, Pollan’s revolutionary examination has changed the way Americans think about food. Bringing wide attention to the little-known but vitally important dimensions of food and agriculture in America, Pollan launched a national conversation about what we eat and the profound consequences that even the simplest everyday food choices have on both ourselves and the natural world. Ten years later, The Omnivore’s Dilemma continues to transform the way Americans think about the politics, perils, and pleasures of eating.

Reviews

Great Read for Food Lovers
5
By Crad26
As someone who has loved cooking for years, but has just recently discovered the joy of REAL food, this was a phenomenal read. Pollan does a marvelous job of presenting both sides of the many issues he tackles in this book, but without being too preachy. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in where their food comes from
FULL OF MUST KNOW INFO
5
By Toni FGMAMTC
This is one of the most important books that I think I’ve ever read. It really opened my eyes to some things and made me think about changes that I want to make moving forward. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT.
A Little Disappointed
3
By air_medal
By at least one glaringly inaccurate statement very early in the book:

“Grab a beer for your beverage instead and you’d still be drinking corn, in the form of alcohol fermented from glucose refined from corn”

Excerpt From: Pollan, Michael. “The Omnivore's Dilemma.” Harlequin, 2006. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Okay, so most decent beers are composed of 4 ingredients - and corn is not one of them. There are some beers that are engineered to be brewed very inexpensively - like Corona - that use corn as an adjunct; others that use rice. But that is only a subset. You would have to grab a specific, lower quality beer to end up with corn-based drink.
Think before you write
1
By Savvy Guy
Do you want the whole world to starve?
Great book if you care about what you eat
5
By MAFlyBoy
I read this book after watching the Academy Award nominated documentary Food, Inc. I was really impressed with Michael Pollan and wanted to know more about his work. I read Food Rules, which I loved! So, I decided to dig into Omnivore's Dilemma. It's a little hard to get into it, but then it really picks up steam. The more I read, the madder I got with the the crap that the big good companies are trying to sell us and how they're trying to pull the wool over our eyes. It's had a big impact on what I eat and where I shop for my food. I'm cooking a lot more and have mostly eliminated processed foods. I will not longer spend any of my hard earned dollars supporting companies such as McDonald's that are doing nothing but poisoning our children in the name of big bucks. Read this and be challenged to make a big change in your buying/eating habits... to the benefit of your and your family's health! To those of you who say you don't want to know where your food comes from... I say, Yes you to! Why? Because your health depends on it, and you have the power to control what you buy and eat and ultimately what farmers and stores will sell!
Dislike
1
By Colombianm
:(
Essential read for all
5
By JeffPalak
Thoroughly researched and referenced, Pollan serves us the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision on what we eat, using himself as a guinea pig along the way.

Highly recomendable reading for everyone. Since eating is the basis for our very existence, what we eat, where our food comes from, and which conditions under which we allow it to be produced has a profound influence on ourselves, on the lives of the animals that we eat, and on the world we live in.
Awareness
5
By RodCoconut
This is a very well written and great story that goes into the four ways eating is possible today. Industrial, industrial-organic, pastoral grass fed animals and hunter gatherers. It's very down to earth and realistic conversation about knowing what we eat, what is it's story, where does it come from and what is the true cost of food.
An eye opener.
4
By Optimus 2022
It is sad to see how dangerous is the cheap food.
Life-changing
5
By Gnubik
I've always been a foodie and a fan of fresh, seasonable foods, but this book changed my life. We shop for food totally differently after reading this!