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cocoonofbooks 's review for:
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan
The subject matter is fascinating and incredibly important. Pollan explores the various ways we humans, as omnivores, can feed ourselves, beginning with a look at the giant industries of corn and soybean farming and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), then looking at whether organic farming is an improvement, visiting a small, self-sustaining farm, and finally exploring hunting and gathering by preparing a meal almost entire from things found or killed himself.
Pollan is thorough in his research and clear in his explanations, and I appreciate that about the book. I already knew much of the most shocking information about the food industry from reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but I still learned a lot (though it's still hard not to come away completely depressed by the state of the food industry -- maybe why Pollan structured the book to go from industrial to intimate). Pollan's descriptions of how beautifully nature works together when properly structured were wonderful and inspiring, and gave a sense of needed hope to what can be a difficult subject matter. I also found his chapter on eating meat to be more or less well done.
I did find his writing hit or miss, which is why it's not a 5-star book for me. This was actually my second time reading the book because I abandoned it during the first section the first time. Much of the book drags with excessive description and explanation, and Pollan enjoys using large words that don't always fit quite right in the context. He also repeats himself, using quips about a "free lunch" multiple times and making the same commentary on the same Wendall Berry quotation at least two different times. I wished the book was easier (and less annoying) to read because the information it contains is so eye-opening that I would recommend this widely. On the other hand, when Pollan's writing is good, it's excellent, and I had more lengthy highlights on my Kindle for this book than probably any other.
It's worth a read if you're willing to stick with it. (You may decide to become a vegetarian and/or locavore.)
Pollan is thorough in his research and clear in his explanations, and I appreciate that about the book. I already knew much of the most shocking information about the food industry from reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but I still learned a lot (though it's still hard not to come away completely depressed by the state of the food industry -- maybe why Pollan structured the book to go from industrial to intimate). Pollan's descriptions of how beautifully nature works together when properly structured were wonderful and inspiring, and gave a sense of needed hope to what can be a difficult subject matter. I also found his chapter on eating meat to be more or less well done.
I did find his writing hit or miss, which is why it's not a 5-star book for me. This was actually my second time reading the book because I abandoned it during the first section the first time. Much of the book drags with excessive description and explanation, and Pollan enjoys using large words that don't always fit quite right in the context. He also repeats himself, using quips about a "free lunch" multiple times and making the same commentary on the same Wendall Berry quotation at least two different times. I wished the book was easier (and less annoying) to read because the information it contains is so eye-opening that I would recommend this widely. On the other hand, when Pollan's writing is good, it's excellent, and I had more lengthy highlights on my Kindle for this book than probably any other.
It's worth a read if you're willing to stick with it. (You may decide to become a vegetarian and/or locavore.)