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 enlarge | Author: Michael Pollan
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
Buy New: $11.84
You Save: $10.11 (46%)
New (75) Used (34) Collectible (5) from $10.33
Rating:  192 reviews
Sales Rank: 115
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1
ISBN: 1594201455
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.2
EAN: 9781594201455
ASIN: 1594201455
Publication Date: January 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Showing reviews 121-125 of 192
 Another Winner March 2, 2008
Murray Fines (Regina SK Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Michael Pollan has again shown his ability to thoroughly research a subject and come up with a book that is a "must read" for North Americans, who are kept in the dark about the food they eat. He really does his homework, as evidenced by the 22 pages of references at the end of the book.
As one who has been aware of the situations he refers to for over 40 years (we were called "health nuts" at that time), I appreciate the fact that he has summarized the current food situation extremely well.
That said, I feel I must express my confusion over one paragraph in the chapter on Bad Science. He very correctly makes the case that nutritional science involves studying one nutrient at a time and that this overlooks the fact that the nutrient works in an intricate and dynamic relationship with a maze of other chemicals. This has resulted in a variety of nutrients being isolated and added to manufactured food products with unjustified health claims, because they just don't work without the myriad of other chemicals.
Further, in the same chapter, he states " People who take supplements are healthier than the population at large, yet their health probably has nothing to do with the supplements they take -most of which recent studies have suggested are worthless."
Obviously Pollan doesn't realize that the studies that suggest this are carried out with the supplements manufactured by pharmaceutical companies that have isolated one nutrient and put it in a charcoal base, with a plastic cover , so they can sell it cheaply to big box stores. Then they run the tests that show they don't work, so you should buy their "miracle drugs" instead. If, as Pollan says, supplements don't work, we have been misled by Nobel Prize winner, Linus Pauling, the Schute brothers, whose clinics have cured hundreds of thousands of heart patients, Abram Hoffer, who has cured schizophrenics all over the world -just to name a few.
Don't let this tirade about one paragraph stop you from getting this book. It is written by a journalist who has captured the subject completely and I wish it was compulsory reading for every North American.
Simplifying the questions March 1, 2008
L. Graber (Kirlkand, WA USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
A couple of years ago I was volunteer teaching an 8th grade US ecomonics class and with lesson plans focused very heavily on "familiar" industries like fast food, I asked the students two questions. First, if they had a choice between a McDonalds hamburger for $0.99 or a grade A steak burger at some high quality restaurant on sale for $4.00, which would they choose. Almost unanimously, they chose the McDonald's hamburger. When asked about the quality, they did not argue that the $4.00 one was probably better quality beef and might be "better for them", but they all really liked McDonald's burgers.
Then I asked them if they had a cold and went to Bartell Drugs (local store) and had a choice between Sudafed (brand name) for $7.99 or Bartell Drug's pseudoephedrine for $4.99, they almost all picked Sudafed. I asked why and they all stated that they weren't going to go cheap on their health. I pointed out that the ingredient list was exactly the same and that Bartell's most likely does not even make the drug but possibly purchases it from the same place making Sudafed. Still, they said that it wasn't worth the risk to their health.
Amusingly, this same class also stated that if given the choice between a good product or good marketing, they would chose good marketing.
This is just one side of the problems I have seen with how people percieve the questions of what to eat and the effects of those decisions. The other is of course the extreme diet's of no-fat or no-sugar or no-... Michael Pollan's book for me was a great simplification of this with a simple statement of "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." The book spends a lot of time showing how most of the "science" around food is at best inconclusive. In atleast one chapter he gets a little bit wrapped up in it himself with Omega-3s, but he calls himself out for this shortly afterward. What really impressed me was that he does not tell you exactly what to eat or call out foods not to eat (except perhaps WonderBread), but instead gives you the tools to identify what is "food" and what is "food-like" and how we got to a state where "what food is" needs to be answered. I admit, I have not eaten red meat in 12+ years, never really ate pork, haven't been to a fast food restaurant in perhaps 7 years, and drink maybe 2 soda's per year for the last 7 years so I am not exactly a convert. However, I am always looking to become more educated about my food choices and for me, this book was spot on.
Finally a book written with common sense March 1, 2008
Antje Kessel (Germany)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Allways on the lookout for tips how to live a healthy livestyle, preventing deadly or chronic diseases I can peer on a big book shelve loaded with health and fitness books. But I have been feeling worse than ever before following all those "health tips"... I always thought that I just go back - and chose my livestyle with a little common sense as I did before I read all those "great books" - now there is the proof for my theory, that with this common sense you will find a more healthy and sustainable livestyle. I really really can recommend this book!
 good book but missing important factors March 1, 2008
Gaelle Wizenberg (Hong Kong)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Good book overhaul. However the author goes in deep research about the farming methods, beef, chicken production, the organic world,the process food but he forgot to address a primordial subject totally linked: the MILK PRODUCTION. It is almost as if he is scared to approach the subjet. This would have done a perfect chatper 3 instead of this adventure in the wood.
Great highlight on the corn invasion! worth the read.
 Oops! February 29, 2008
Jen E (Seattle, WA United States)
It's a great book and reaffirms what informed people already know. Unfortunately, the people who really should read this book probably won't. I can assure you my white trash neighbor will never pick up such a book...her trash can overflowing w/ laboratory-created food items only.
There is one big error that I've noticed so far (just started reading it) and that is where Pollan tells us how many calories are in each macronutrient gram. He says that there are 5 calories in a gram of protein and 5 calories in a gram of carbohydrate when it's actually 4 calories each. I am amazed that this error wasn't caught before publishing. It's not a typo; it's a factual error. OOPS!
Regardless, this book is a good reminder for us to eat REAL food and also take time to enjoy it and celebrate it.
I recommend - and pass it along to all those really helpless, ignorant people you know could really benefit from this information.
Remember - MARGARINE SUCKS!
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