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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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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 136-140 of 192
 great time for an excellant book about food... February 22, 2008
lisa jane (temeula, ca.)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
great time for an excelant book about food...
the diet obsession in U.S, is unreal but this book has a
practical, clear, and no nonsense way about it. my only complaint is it needs photographs...
a lot of questions answered in this well researched book February 20, 2008
Margaret Reynolds (Ukiah, CA)
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I think this is the most important and thoroughly researched book since China Study which is still king of this subject but Pollan comes close with this book. I found that a lot of questions that have arisen in my own extensive reading were addressed and answered by Pollan and it is evident that a lot of thought and research has gone into these too few pages. Yes, the book could have been longer but a lot packed into 200 pages of reading material. Perhaps he will do a follow up as I'm hoping that Colin Campbell will do with his landmark study. I was also glad to see that Pollan has read China Study though anyone writing a book on this subject would have to in order to do a thorough job. All the answers aren't out there but I think that with the China Study and this book that a mighty big step has been taken. Oh the folly that our government and the medical profession insults us with though they do it to themselves as well. All so afraid to be thought or proven wrong so that we the consumers and mothers raising our children must put up with this disgraceful mess known as the western diet that only fills the pockets of the greedy food industry known as manipulators of mother nature. I just finished The Spectrum by Dean Ornish,an excellent book if you don't venture to turn the pages in the recipe section which undo the rest of the book's good. I commend Mr. Pollan. He's done an excellent job of tying a lot of loose ends and helped me a lot in understanding why I eat the way I do which is strictly plant based, and feeling comfortable with doing so.
Everyone should read this February 14, 2008
Lisa (Oregon)
16 out of 21 found this review helpful
It's pretty indisputable that american in general are overweight and not very healthy. Equally, hard to argue that diet is implicated in this (and lifestyle... but diet is a big factor). This book examines how the normal american diet differs from traditional diets that used to keep people pretty healthy, and how we should change our diets to be heathly. The normal american diet is full of processed food, industrially grown, stored forever and trucked across country, lots of convenience food, snacks, soda, big portions, etc.
It has a long detour into debunking "nutritionalism", which an unquestioning faith in the results of attempts to study a very difficult and complex topic, by people who (in too many cases) have good reason for bias. The more people can be convinced to think for themselves about these issues, which is the main point, the better.
The book then hits many nutrition everyone-knows and dicusses their flaws. It doesn't go very much in depth, but just bounces back to the main point, which is (a) we don't really know (b) it doesn't really matter: we do, definitely, know that natural whole foods are good so we should eat them. We can keep trying to find out the exact details of the science and why some specific nutrient is good or bad, but a diet containing natural unprocessed foods is proven to work and the current american diet doesn't, the exact reasons why doesn't need to affect the decision to change.
I've always been suspicious of things made to look like other things, like margarine, so I was predisposed to agree with this book, and we already eat much the way it recommends. This book wasn't as broad/deep/educational as Omnivores Dilemma, it's a pretty quick read, it has a fairly simple message; but it was quite readable and I only hope a fraction of the people who need to read it actually do. The guidelines for eating are simple and memorable and I think do a really helpful job of steering people though the grocery store. And finally, it's so nice to see someone recommending vegetables but encouraging meat and wine; it's refreshingly common sense and without the intolerance of so much writing about eating.
 "200 Informative Pages, Eat More Produce." February 14, 2008
Steve Guardala (Land Of The Dying Gaul!!!)
55 out of 70 found this review helpful
First, I have not read "The Omnivores Dilemma" but I eventually will. This book is divided into three interesting parts. "In The Age of Nutritionalism," we get a history lesson on how our diet has changed roughly since the post world war two era. It illustrates how well intentioned scientists & politicians tried to create a culture that put far more emphasis on consuming nutrients{vitamin C, Protein, etc}, than on whole foods{ Orange juice, meat, etc}.
The second part, The Western Diet & The Diseases of Civilization," reveals how our modern diet has led to huge increases in obesity, tooth decay, cancer, & heart disease. The last part "Getting Over Nutritionalism," gives advice on how to move from this negative diet. The author believes that we should focus more on the portions of food that we consume rather than obsessing over fat & carb content.
He points out that the Japanese on the island of Okinawa who live very long lives, focus on "Hara Hachi Bu," which means you stop eating when you are eighty percent full. Another fine example, is of the French who avoid huge portions & snacking while eating very rich meals on small plates. Yet, they are some of the thinnest & long lived folks in Europe. From personal experience I know this to be true because, I worked in a French restaurant as a kid & had two French roomates in College.
The only negatives of this book is that it is devoid of any charts, graphs, pictures, & illustrations. The readers will certainly learn things that can help them live a healthier & longer life.
Preaching to the Choir February 14, 2008
Heidi (New Mexico)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I feel that in my case he was preaching to the choir so to say. I already feel that processed foods are bad for you and the more natural and local your food it the better. He did have some interesting insights to the history of how our food got here. If you are not a believer in the whole food movement you may want to look at his argument and if you are you may feel as I did.
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