Book Blogging: The Omnivore's Dilemma

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

My review

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read Pollan's In Defense of Food a while back and instantly fell in love. I knew the minute I finished it, I had to find The Omnivore's Dilemma and devour it too. It was an intriguing concept, but I'll admit it wasn't really the book I thought it was going to be. I don't know what I thought it would be about, but the idea of following three meals from the farm to the table (or driver's seat as it were) was captivating. Not to be horribly cliche, but it really made me think.

Of course, some of my childhood was spent on a farm, and many of my earliest memories revolve around slaughtering animals for food (annual chicken slaughtering day, anyone?), so I'm probably more aware than many Americans of the origins of our food. Even so, the sections on industrially farmed corn and factory-raised beef were eye opening. Even moreso was the section on "industrial organic," or organic farming on a large scale a la Eggland's Best and Horizon Dairy. I'll admit I have bought industrial organic in the past and patted myself on the back for being "green" or environmentally conscious or whatever you want to call it. However, since reading this book, I've been more aware of the truly alternative option: buying local. I'm currently loving our local farmer's market, and I'm making an effort to buy more local vegetables and meats along with handicrafts and other fun farmers market finds.

The Omnivore's Dilemma will not necessarily radicalize the way you go about feeding yourself and your family. However, if each reader finds him or herself just a little bit more aware of how our food choices affect the world around us, we will probably all be better off for it in the end.

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