Hey all, I just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and I thought I might put it out there so others can enjoy. It's "a natural history of four meals", as the subtitle says, chronicling the animals and industries that bring food to the table (or the car). It's not one of those "the meat industry is evil" kind of books, but it does explore that topic.
The book does get a bit preachy at times (as you might imagine, especially near the end), and the author does tend to explore the same themes (and sometimes the same sentences) several times. But overall it was an informative book--I learned quite a bit about the relationship between grass and cows--and it's not a crusade to convert us all to vegetarians. I do, however, feel more compelled than usual to buy meat and eggs from the farmers market, despite the price hike. My favorite part of the book covered the Polyface farm in Virginia, which sounds like the coolest farm there ever was, and the kind of farm I would try to create if ever I let my wife convince me of the merits of such an idea. Pigs are apparently very motivated by fermented corn kernels, even those hiding under a pile of cow shit. Good to know.
So pick up a copy (or hit the library), and let me know what you think!
The book does get a bit preachy at times (as you might imagine, especially near the end), and the author does tend to explore the same themes (and sometimes the same sentences) several times. But overall it was an informative book--I learned quite a bit about the relationship between grass and cows--and it's not a crusade to convert us all to vegetarians. I do, however, feel more compelled than usual to buy meat and eggs from the farmers market, despite the price hike. My favorite part of the book covered the Polyface farm in Virginia, which sounds like the coolest farm there ever was, and the kind of farm I would try to create if ever I let my wife convince me of the merits of such an idea. Pigs are apparently very motivated by fermented corn kernels, even those hiding under a pile of cow shit. Good to know.
So pick up a copy (or hit the library), and let me know what you think!
