Book of the Week

Throughout the course of my graduate studies I read an inordinate number of books, articles and essays regarding the human diet, agriculture and what we have come to know as the “food industry.”  Perhaps one of the most readable treatments of complex interrelated subjects comes from Michael Pollan.  His book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, navigates the narcissism of nutritionism succinctly.  In an over-saturated world of nutrition facts, ingredient lists, and marketing trends, Pollan comes to a simple solution.  His mantra, “eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”  The statement is perhaps as profound as it is simple.  Behind the concise phrase Pollan elaborates on just what food is in an industrialized food era.  Once one determines what food is, and what it is not, then choices need to be made about quality and quantity.  Pollan’s research pushes him toward a heavily plant based diet as his message clearly states.  If you are looking for a well-researched, lucidly written guide to relieve confusion and laborious hours of accumulated label reading, then Pollan’s manifesto is just the tool to empower you.