Guest guest Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 In 2006, The Omnivores Dilemma by Pollan, was one of my favorite "nutrition" related books.This week, his newest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto was released.You can read the introduction at his website.http://www.michaelpollan.com/in_defense_excerpt.pdfHis excellent books are a real breath of fresh air, especially after the "stink" or the recent G Taubes attempts at writing about nutrition. :)RegardsJeffAbout Pollan is the author, most recently, of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. His previous book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006), was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by the New York Times and the Washington Post. It also won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, the Beard Award for best food writing, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. A contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic awards, including the Beard Award for best magazine series in 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental Journalism. Pollan served for many years as executive editor of Harper’s Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley. His articles have been anthologized in Best American Science Writing (2004); Best American Essays (1990 and 2003) and the Norton Book of Nature Writing.About The BookWhat to eat, what not to eat, and how to think about health: a manifesto for our times"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered answers he provides to the questions posed in the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma.Humans used to know how to eat well, Pollan argues. But the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused, complicated, and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists-all of whom have much to gain from our dietary confusion. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real." These "edible foodlike substances" are often packaged with labels bearing health claims that are typically false or misleading. Indeed, real food is fast disappearing from the marketplace, to be replaced by "nutrients," and plain old eating by an obsession with nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention our meals. Pollan's sensible and decidedly counterintuitive advice is: "Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food."Writing In Defense of Food, and affirming the joy of eating, Pollan suggests that if we would pay more for better, well-grown food, but buy less of it, we'll benefit ourselves, our communities, and the environment at large. Taking a clear-eyed look at what science does and does not know about the links between diet and health, he proposes a new way to think about the question of what to eat that is informed by ecology and tradition rather than by the prevailing nutrient-by-nutrient approach.In Defense of Food reminds us that, despite the daunting dietary landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, the solutions to the current omnivore's dilemma can be found all around us.In looking toward traditional diets the world over, as well as the foods our families-and regions-historically enjoyed, we can recover a more balanced, reasonable, and pleasurable approach to food. Pollan's bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we might start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives and enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 I'm compelled to mention that n Nestle more or less wrote that book already, What to Eat. http://www.whattoeatbook.com/ Her advice, too, is essentially the same: " Eat less; move more; eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains; and avoid too much junk food. " http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=3CDDB14C-E7F2-99DF-39AC2C4049B2F6C0 & c\ hanID=sa006 & colID=1 Nestle discusses Pollan's book here: http://eatingliberally.org/story__let_s_ask_marion_thumbs_up_for_pollan_s_manife\ sto_jan_02_2008_id803 Happy Eating and Happy New Year! --- In , Novick <jnovickrd@...> wrote: > > In 2006, The Omnivores Dilemma by Pollan, was one of my > favorite " nutrition " related books. > > This week, his newest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto > was released. > > You can read the introduction at his website. > > http://www.michaelpollan.com/in_defense_excerpt.pdf > > His excellent books are a real breath of fresh air, especially after > the " stink " or the recent G Taubes attempts at writing about > nutrition. > > Regards > Jeff > > About > > Pollan is the author, most recently, of In Defense of Food: > An Eater's Manifesto. His previous book, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A > Natural History of Four Meals (2006), was named one of the ten best > books of 2006 by the New York Times and the Washington Post. It also > won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, the > Beard Award for best food writing, and was a finalist for the > National Book Critics Circle Award. A contributing writer to the New > York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic > awards, including the Beard Award for best magazine series in > 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental > Journalism. Pollan served for many years as executive editor of > Harper's Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and > Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley. His articles have been > anthologized in Best American Science Writing (2004); Best American > Essays (1990 and 2003) and the Norton Book of Nature Writing. > > > About The Book > > What to eat, what not to eat, and how to think about health: a > manifesto for our times > > " Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. " These simple words go to the > heart of Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered > answers he provides to the questions posed in the bestselling The > Omnivore's Dilemma. > > Humans used to know how to eat well, Pollan argues. But the balanced > dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have > been confused, complicated, and distorted by food industry marketers, > nutritional scientists, and journalists-all of whom have much to gain > from our dietary confusion. As a result, we face today a complex > culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not > " real. " These " edible foodlike substances " are often packaged with > labels bearing health claims that are typically false or misleading. > Indeed, real food is fast disappearing from the marketplace, to be > replaced by " nutrients, " and plain old eating by an obsession with > nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention > our meals. Pollan's sensible and decidedly counterintuitive > advice is: " Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would > not recognize as food. " > > Writing In Defense of Food, and affirming the joy of eating, Pollan > suggests that if we would pay more for better, well-grown food, but > buy less of it, we'll benefit ourselves, our communities, and the > environment at large. Taking a clear-eyed look at what science does > and does not know about the links between diet and health, he proposes > a new way to think about the question of what to eat that is informed > by ecology and tradition rather than by the prevailing nutrient-by- > nutrient approach. > > In Defense of Food reminds us that, despite the daunting dietary > landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, the solutions > to the current omnivore's dilemma can be found all around us. > > In looking toward traditional diets the world over, as well as the > foods our families-and regions-historically enjoyed, we can recover a > more balanced, reasonable, and pleasurable approach to food. > Pollan's bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we might start > making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives and enlarge > our sense of what it means to be healthy > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Jeff, I perused your website and noticed you are familiar with Nestle's book. How are the two books different? I suppose you could email me off-list unless you think others would be interested. Thanks, > > > > In 2006, The Omnivores Dilemma by Pollan, was one of my > > favorite " nutrition " related books. > > > > This week, his newest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto > > was released. > > > > You can read the introduction at his website. > > > > http://www.michaelpollan.com/in_defense_excerpt.pdf > > > > His excellent books are a real breath of fresh air, especially after > > the " stink " or the recent G Taubes attempts at writing about > > nutrition. > > > > Regards > > Jeff > > > > About > > > > Pollan is the author, most recently, of In Defense of Food: > > An Eater's Manifesto. His previous book, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A > > Natural History of Four Meals (2006), was named one of the ten best > > books of 2006 by the New York Times and the Washington Post. It also > > won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, the > > Beard Award for best food writing, and was a finalist for the > > National Book Critics Circle Award. A contributing writer to the New > > York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic > > awards, including the Beard Award for best magazine series in > > 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental > > Journalism. Pollan served for many years as executive editor of > > Harper's Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and > > Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley. His articles have been > > anthologized in Best American Science Writing (2004); Best American > > Essays (1990 and 2003) and the Norton Book of Nature Writing. > > > > > > About The Book > > > > What to eat, what not to eat, and how to think about health: a > > manifesto for our times > > > > " Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. " These simple words go to the > > heart of Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered > > answers he provides to the questions posed in the bestselling The > > Omnivore's Dilemma. > > > > Humans used to know how to eat well, Pollan argues. But the balanced > > dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have > > been confused, complicated, and distorted by food industry marketers, > > nutritional scientists, and journalists-all of whom have much to gain > > from our dietary confusion. As a result, we face today a complex > > culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not > > " real. " These " edible foodlike substances " are often packaged with > > labels bearing health claims that are typically false or misleading. > > Indeed, real food is fast disappearing from the marketplace, to be > > replaced by " nutrients, " and plain old eating by an obsession with > > nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention > > our meals. Pollan's sensible and decidedly counterintuitive > > advice is: " Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would > > not recognize as food. " > > > > Writing In Defense of Food, and affirming the joy of eating, Pollan > > suggests that if we would pay more for better, well-grown food, but > > buy less of it, we'll benefit ourselves, our communities, and the > > environment at large. Taking a clear-eyed look at what science does > > and does not know about the links between diet and health, he proposes > > a new way to think about the question of what to eat that is informed > > by ecology and tradition rather than by the prevailing nutrient-by- > > nutrient approach. > > > > In Defense of Food reminds us that, despite the daunting dietary > > landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, the solutions > > to the current omnivore's dilemma can be found all around us. > > > > In looking toward traditional diets the world over, as well as the > > foods our families-and regions-historically enjoyed, we can recover a > > more balanced, reasonable, and pleasurable approach to food. > > Pollan's bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we might start > > making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives and enlarge > > our sense of what it means to be healthy > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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