About this title: Pollan writes about the ecology of the food humans eat and why--what it is, in fact, that we are eating. Discussing industrial farming, organic food, and what it is like to hunt and gather food, this is a surprisingly honest and self-aware account of the evolution of the modern diet.
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Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Fair. 0143038583 Former Library book. The Book shows wear and there are SIGNIFICANT Markings throughout the book. The pages' edges are dirty/stained. A Great Book! 100% Money Back Guarantee! ! ! read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780143038580ISBN:0143038583
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Paperback, has been read but remains in good condition. Not marked up. Page ends have slight staining. See our customer image #8737. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780143038580ISBN:0143038583
Description: New. Items ship once payments have cleared. Media mail 5-8 days Priority 2-3 days and international orders may be subject to customs clearance procedures which can cause delays. Seasonal delays can occur in postal system. All items ship within 24 hours of receiving payment. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780143038580ISBN:0143038583
Description: New. No dust jacket as issued. New book at 20% off retail price from a reliable seller. Prompt shipping. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. With dust jacket. 464 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Large Print Pr
Date Published: 2007-04-24
ISBN-13:9781594132056ISBN:1594132054
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9781594132056. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Large Print Distribution
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781594132056ISBN:1594132054
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Press
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9781594200823ISBN:1594200823
Description: Near-fine in fine dust jacket: inscription on FEP, otherwise immaculate. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 450 p. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Date Published: 2007-08-28
ISBN-13:9780143038580ISBN:0143038583
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780143038580. read more
Edition: Later Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Press
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9781594200823ISBN:1594200823
Description: Very Good+ in Very Good+ dust jacket; Bought new, read once. Unclipped DJ. Clean, tight & attractive. 1.5 x 9.3 x 6.2 Inches; 464 pages. read more
"This is one of the scariest books I've ever read. The content will shock and disturb you enough to change the way you live. It will mess you up. that could be a good thing but don't ever say you haven't been warned! peace"
"After you read this you may want to become a vegetarian.At a minimum, read all labels on all store purchases and only buy organic, grass fed beef. Stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup (in everything) and watch for all the corn products, as Pollan says that the food chemists have manufactured from the corn carbohydrate molecules: citric and lactic acid, glucose; fructose; maltodextrin; ethanol; sorbitol; mannitol; xanthan gum; modified and unmodified starch; dextrins and cyclodextrins and MSG...
"It's not every day you read a book that threatens to change your life. I use the word "threaten" very deliberately, because they are changes that I know I'm going to find challenging.
Michael Pollan challenges his readers to examine their food a little closer, to consider where it comes from. And it's a logical request I think. We can spend days searching for the perfect doctor or mechanic, but how much time do we take to really think about our food? Do you know where your steak came from? Is your asparagus from a nearby farm, or far-flung Argentina? Are your peaches organic, and if so, what does that really mean? Most of us have no idea how to answer these questions.
In most cases, the answers are simple. Most of our food likely comes from a massive industrial farm or feed-lot hundreds of miles away, fed by incredible amounts of fossil fuels -- the fertilizer, the machines used for harvesting, the trucks it took to transport the food to your local mega-mart, to name just a few uses of fossil fuel. Pollan's descriptions of these farms (and in particular, the feed lots) can be quite disturbing. However, Pollan does not outright condemn this "industrial food chain." He concedes that it would be difficult to feed billions of people inexpensively without it. Instead, he advocates having several different avenues for delivering food to our tables, and he describes several alternatives. It is up to the reader to determine how they want to eat.
As for me, my eyes have been opened to the appeal of "eating locally," where possible. (Emphasis on "where possible." There aren't too many oranges grown in Idaho.) By eating foods produced as close to my home as possible, I support the local economy, less fossil fuels are used, and the food should have fewer preservatives, hormones, and other chemical ingredients. Best of all, the food should be fresher and more flavorful. Yes, it will cost more, but I think it will be worth it. At least I'm willing to try it. Consider it an experiement. I've already found local sources of milk, eggs and meat that I'm going to try.
I found Pollan's writing engaging and easy to read. (Disclaimer: I am a huge nerd, and the topic really spoke to me. If you don't like science, you may not find this book as fascinating.)
A few words of warning: if evolution makes you uncomfortable, you may not like this book, as it often talks about the evolution of plants, animals and humans. Also, there were two or three instances where objectionable language was used."
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