• In Defense of Food

  • An Eater's Manifesto
  • By: Michael Pollan
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (4,582 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
In Defense of Food  By  cover art

In Defense of Food

By: Michael Pollan
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These are the first words of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Scott Brick narrates these opening sentences with slowly paced emphasis and a nicely modulated deftness, with a hint of coyness. The coyness is Pollan's. For what else can one eat but food? And why does eating need a manifesto? Pollan answers that we increasing do not eat food (whole food) but rather consume processed "food products". We are in "The Age of Nutritionism". Pollan's In Defense of Food is a richly developed polemic against the unhealthful food culture that the ideology of nurtitionism represents. The book is as well a de facto manual for growing and eating our way out of it.

Brick is a compelling spokesman for Pollan's argument. He brings to In Defense of Food a voice in the baritone-to-tenor range, with an always on-the-mark sonic focus matched with a point of expressive emphasis that constantly shifts, as Brick makes his flawless and fluent runs up and down and within his octave ranges. Brick's doing all of this can only be achieved by natural talent, disciplined training, and smart reading - joined by a mastery of a quite large array of narrative and expressive skills.

It is very likely that somewhere in some academic haven there are specific concepts and a precise language that could quantify and describe what goes on with Brick's narrative voice. In the end, though, it all comes down to art. Using, with apologies, an extended metaphor, that of jazz: Brick picks up his axe (saxophone), fingering the notes and changing the octaves with the keys; with his fine set of chops (lips) applies the pressure onto the sax's mouth piece and reed, and, modulating the breath and applying nuances of feeling and expression, blows - that is, in jazz-speak - plays. The well-argued and passionate polemic that is In Defense of Food is, in this audio production, a show piece showcasing Scott Brick's narrative range and dexterity. (David Chasey)

Publisher's summary

#1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of This is Your Mind on Plants, How to Change Your Mind, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Food Rules

Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion—most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American Paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we see to become. With In Defense of Food, Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.

©2008 Michael Pollan (P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Michael Pollan [is the] designated repository for the nation's food conscience."—Frank Bruni, The New York Times

"In this slim, remarkable volume, Pollan builds a convincing case not only against that steak dinner but against the entire Western diet."The Washington Post

"A tough, witty, cogent rebuttal to the proposition that food can be reduced to its nutritional components without the loss of something essential . . . [a] lively, invaluable book."—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

Featured Article: The 20 Best Fitness Audiobooks for Becoming Your Healthiest Self


Fitness audiobooks have the power to inspire and motivate us to change ourselves, whether through tough love or peeks into the amazing transformations of others. As one of the most consistently popular audiobook genres, there are countless selections with a plethora of information about the road to better health. Here, discover titles that communicate truths about health and fitness by examining the nutrition industry and human motivations.

What listeners say about In Defense of Food

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,111
  • 4 Stars
    1,064
  • 3 Stars
    302
  • 2 Stars
    65
  • 1 Stars
    40
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,300
  • 4 Stars
    714
  • 3 Stars
    254
  • 2 Stars
    72
  • 1 Stars
    52
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,380
  • 4 Stars
    696
  • 3 Stars
    223
  • 2 Stars
    43
  • 1 Stars
    28

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A must read for anyone who eats

If you could sum up In Defense of Food in three words, what would they be?

Life changing information

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Defense of Food?

The message about Big Food having a very palpable political influence

Which scene was your favorite?

The sociological experiment with the indigenous tribe that had started moving into urban centers, also the psychological associations with food in Americans vs other nationalities.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh in parts.

Any additional comments?

I LOVE MICHAEL POLLAN!!! You can't eat without reading all his books if you care about your health (and the health of the planet) at all!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great listen with good info

Would you consider the audio edition of In Defense of Food to be better than the print version?

NA

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Defense of Food?

Great history of 'nutritionists' and the misguided uses of nutritional information by the food industry.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

A little too long for one sitting, but definitely one that you want to hear all the way through.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Changed How I Eat and Grocery Shop

Would you consider the audio edition of In Defense of Food to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Defense of Food?

"You are what you eat eats"

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Great view on diet and nutrition. While you can take exception to the fact that the authors disses nutrition science yet uses it to support his own contentions, the main arguments are supportable and make scientific sense. The reader was very good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Why was I shocked by this information??

What did you love best about In Defense of Food?

The information is well worth knowing, very important. Thank you Michael Pollan.

Any additional comments?

I know I will listen to this book again and again, though I would like it better if Mr. Brick did not sound so sarcastic as he often does during his performance. Even though the information is shocking and does make a person angry, I see Mr. Pollan as a bridge to a better way of thinking. I prefer to think that if Mr. Pollan were to read this book he would not sound so sarcastic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good resume of healthy eating.

My side obsessed with healthy living enjoyed the nutrition details of this book and my engineering side enjoyed the scientific evidence presented. The author did not take sides; the listening was smooth and easy to do. A must for anyone wanting to improve his health in this consumerism based un-healthy diet filled world.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great reality check on the average American diet

I thought the story was great. Not so sure what other posters liked so much about the reader though. I thought the added inflection gave the book an arrogant sound. But that's not a dealbreaker. Great buy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Do you know what you're eating?

I have read Michael Pollan's other book, the Omnivore's Dilemma, so I was somewhat familiar with the subject matter. But this book makes it personal. Eating is such an important thing, yet we spend so little time thinking about it. I am sure that if we all followed just some of his common sense approach to nourishment, we'd all be much healthier. This is not a book about diets or fads or denying yourself the pleasures of food. This is a book to teach you how to eat - because as a culture, we have forgotten how. We spend so much time watching TV or driving to/from work or aimlessly surfing the net - spend some time reading this book and you (and your family) will be the better for it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Filled with insightful history and health of food.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It opens your eyes to the world of food that we live in.

Any additional comments?

This book is a must read. Anyone who cares about their health or has health issues related to poor eating habits needs to read this audio book or the hardcover book.

The narrator "Scott Brick" is very good with drawing in the listener and highlighting interesting points with his tone of voice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Makes you think.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Defense of Food?

I didn't realize nutrition research was so political. The best line in the book is,

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator read it like it was as novel. A little too much drama for the subject matter.

Any additional comments?

I have re-evaluated the way I eat after hearing this book. I feel I am eating healthier now.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

What made the experience of listening to In Defense of Food the most enjoyable?

Witty humor, and very interesting facts.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

He just has great speaking voice. I have heard Scott perform other works, and he always does great.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It would be documentary, so I suppose the title would work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful