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

One of the greatest audiobooks ever

This is a story that needs to be told over and over again. The lack of understanding or appreciation of food has gone way too far. This book is a very healthy reminder of what it all means, where it all comes from, and why we should cherish it so much

Great Book

First time hearing one of Michael Pallon's books and it personally took me two days to finish it, but I highly enjoyed the story he told and the topics he brought up

Good Content, Difficult Narration

I really enjoyed Michael Pallin's last book and this one is very good too. The section on local agriculture was very interesting. Bu the narrator was overly dramatic to the point of being difficult to listen to. I'm a dedicated listener, and I liked the book, but I nearly turned it off a few times due to the narration.

It will change how you eat

Excellent, excellent book. Well-researched content, riveting to listen to ... and it definitely has made me change my food habits, from what I choose and where I buy it. The first two main sections were most interesting to me - the story of the pervasiveness of corn and corn-derived products in the American diet (along with the reasons behind it), and also the unravelling of the organic movement. Whether you eat hamburgers and Twinkies, or are a raw-food gourmet, this book provides profound information about what shapes our eating habits. Required reading for anyone who eats!

One of the most impactful books I have ever read.

This presentation is by far the best of any subject matter to which I have ever been exposed. The subject matter of where our food comes from is one that greatly interests me. But above and beyond the surface of this subject matter, the writing style and clarity with which Pollan writes is stunning. His writing is at once, scientific, insightful, extremely emotional and powerfully but subtly philosophical. The amount of ground covered from pole to pole is extraordinary. Starting with the industrial food chain and it's main component of corn, to the anachronistic farm of Joel Salatin and finally to the emotionally gripping journey of hunting and gathering, not a single detail is spared or missed as oversight. To cover such a wide range of topics in such incredible detail and with such care is absolutely astonishing.

The narrator brought the presentation to life. He read the book with such zeal and care that he gave me the sense that he was just as interested in the book as I was and that we were reading the book together. The visual imagery that Pollan sought to put into his book came fervently alive with color, power and humor.

This presentation is stunning and incredible. The subject matter is important to all of us as humans and I am greatly appreciative to Mr. Pollan for bringing this knowledge into my life.

Dilemma? LET'S EAT!!

The intimate details of the author’s experiences make this a difficult review. I’ve recommended this book more often and for more reasons than I can mention. Its entertainment value alone is worth the price of admission.. The knowledge gathered and imparted by the author is fascinating at times, disturbing at others. One of my measures of a good book is its ability to spank my naivete. In other words, the more often I can honestly say, “I didn’t know that”… the greater the book. Surprisingly, I was spanked quit often throughout. If you enjoyed “Super Size ME” or “Fast Food Nation” you’ll really like The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Solid journalism of infinite relevance

Pollan is a botanist and a journalist, but this particular piece of work is so much more than the sum of those parts. Unlike "Botany of Desire" (which is also great!), this work covers ground that is infinitely relevant: from every meal you eat to vegetarianism to international agricultural politics to the current energy crisis. And in every case he does not beat you over the head with his views or any common dogma (pro or against; left or right). Instead, like a good journalist, he reports on what is going on. He highlights the facts that are otherwise obscured and leaves it to you to decide if they are better left obscured or if you want to know more. He does not play any blame games or righteousness kicks. He tells you how it is and presents the full complexity of ideas and feelings that we have when facing the truth about what we eat everyday tracing it all the back to how, where and why it came to be.

This book will change your life, but it won't dictate which way it should change. You just can't walk away from all the information without gaining some new insight into how you live.

Mushroom adventures?

Great book however, the chapters that elaborate on the authors cooking techniques and mushroom adventures tempted me to stop listening. All content besides the above was great.

very informative

This makes you think twice about what you put in your mouth. Very detailed and expansive look at where our food comes from.

love the first 2/3 of it

the first 2 thirds of it were great and interesting, but then author goes into a tale of hunting and gathering that doesnt fit in the original narrative of food practices. i couldn't care less abiut his dinner with friends, it would've been better to end it before the hunting trip stories.