The Omnivore's Dilemma

A Natural History of Four Meals

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

The best-selling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the 21st century.

"What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another, this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't, which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance.

The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we're realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment. The Omnivore's Dilemma is best-selling author Michael Pollan's brilliant and eye-opening exploration of these little-known but vitally important dimensions of eating in America.

We are indeed what we eat, and what we eat remakes the world. A society of voracious and increasingly confused omnivores, we are just beginning to recognize the profound consequences of the simplest everyday food choices, both for ourselves and for the natural world. The Omnivore's Dilemma is a long-overdue book and one that will become known for bringing a completely fresh perspective to a question as ordinary and yet momentous as "What shall we have for dinner?"

©2006 Michael Pollan (P)2006 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Gold Medal in Nonfiction for the California Book Award • Winner of the 2007 Bay Area Book Award for Nonfiction • Winner of the 2007 James Beard Book Award/Writing on Food Category • Finalist for the 2007 Orion Book Award • Finalist for the 2007 NBCC Award

"Thoughtful, engrossing . . . You're not likely to get a better explanation of exactly where your food comes from."—The New York Times Book Review

"An eater's manifesto . . . [Pollan's] cause is just, his thinking is clear, and his writing is compelling. Be careful of your dinner!"—The Washington Post

"Outstanding . . . a wide-ranging invitation to think through the moral ramifications of our eating habits."—The New Yorker

very thought provoking. I really would like to know where my food is coming from.

A book everyone should take time to read/listen to

If you could sum up The Omnivore's Dilemma in three words, what would they be?

Inspirational, eyeopening, motivating

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author, for his approach at contrasting the same food from two different origins

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

The author, for his approach at contrasting the same food from two different origins

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

Yes - but it's a bit long for that.

very interesting very unique learned a lot

I wasn't sure where this story was going but it takes you on a tour of many different types of food and how that food is produced and consumed fascinating book great job

Really speaks to where I'm at right now in my life

I really loved it. I thought the narration was read beautifully and it has been a big part of opening my eyes! A must listen if you care at all about your food.

This book is a MUST have!

Would you listen to The Omnivore's Dilemma again? Why?

Yes, it is way to long to take everything in on the first listen. This is an amazing book that has changed the way I view food, and what I buy at the store.

Any additional comments?

This book makes me want to know more about the food I buy and eat and provide for my family. It made me think about food in a way I never would have thought. Without even saying it directly, the book makes the connection that industrial agriculture is likely to blame for the spike in cancer and other illnesses effecting our country and the industrialized world. It almost makes me want to grow my own foods so not EVERYTHING I eat is corn. I will be buying 4 or 5 copies of the paperback for my family to give them this holiday. Also, the voice actor was incredible. I hope to hear him again. Very easy to listen to him.

a gift to our generation

That moment when you read the last line of a book and knowyouwil read it again. Not an easy read but a delightful and essential one. Thank you, Michael P!

very informative in a nice story way

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

yes , depending on the friend and their intersts

Who was your favorite character and why?

the mushrooms were fascinating and we were going to a mushroom festival the next week

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

i always love being told the info since i am an audio and visual learner

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the following of the chickens from egg to food

Any additional comments?

very enlightening. i may change my eating and shopping habits

Not sure what to think

If you could sum up The Omnivore's Dilemma in three words, what would they be?

What to eat?

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I am impress by the detail of his research and the comprehensiveness of his research. Good information about the different ways to obtain food. Well written so there isn't a clear bias as to which method of eating is better than another. He was able to present information without preaching.

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

topic can be boring, but he seems to pull it off well.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

the amount of feces that the farm animals are surrounded in.

Too many words

What made the experience of listening to The Omnivore's Dilemma the most enjoyable?

The book is divided into Three Parts following an Introduction:

Introduction: OMG I have to read this thing!?
Part I: Holy F! there is corn everywhere!
Part II: Shut up! Just shut up already!
Part III: A narcissist's narrative of Northern California.

That being said, the book offers a compelling, complicated, thought provoking story, as much biography as anything else. No solutions, only problems, except per chance you are wealthy enough to keep company with a world class chef.

Fantastic

A life changing book. This is a top favorite and highly recommended