In Defense of Food

An Eater's Manifesto

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

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Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion—most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science.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

Don't read this book if you don't care about your health!

I'm very interested in Western and my own consumptive practices. Also, I think it's much better to be informed then to be ignorant. The author provided an excellent explanation of what to eat and how to eat it, especially for those living in the West and consuming a Western diet.
It was a thought-provoking and attention-grabbing read. I recommended it to anyone who would listen, especially those who inquired. If taken seriously and honestly, the practice of the book's contents could greatly transform one's health for the better!

I'm hungry now

I definitely give you a different point of view of where food has come from.

Common Sense Approach to Eating

Would you listen to In Defense of Food again? Why?

Yes, no matter what your dietary preferences, this book shines a light on the problem areas and let's you navigate your own way in between. I eat a plant based diet most of the time, but meat and dairy eaters will not be talked down to in this book and you will learn the best ways to work them into your diet.

Would you be willing to try another one of Scott Brick’s performances?

Only if it were fiction. His dramatic reading of the subject almost ruined it for me. It was almost like a joke. Like a caricature of a dramatic reading. I've heard Michael Pollan speak and I would rather he had just read it.

Any additional comments?

If you're looking for a detailed eating plan or any specific guidelines, you wont find them. I found myself searching online for "What bread or cracker would Michael Pollan approve of?" I'm pretty nutritionally savvy but I was still unclear of how "whole" the bread had to be. Did I need to grind my own wheat berries? Could my bread come out of a package?

A must read!

This book completely changed the way I look at food. A must read for anyone that eats.

Gets you thinking

Full of lots of great information. Gets you thinking and motivates you to think about what you're putting in your mouth. Would definitely listen to more books by this author. Narration was great also.

Great info

I thought it started boring and with bigger words than I like, but the author warned of that, so it was expected. But the last several chapters were great!

AMERICA NEEDS THIS BOOK

This book has completely changed my relationship to food. Not only will it make my future eating much healthier but also much more delicious!

Amazing book!

easy listening. great narration. everyone should read this book - eat food, not food products!

Awesome Book

The narrator told the story well. At first his tone for this book seemed weird, but I started really enjoying the passion and energy of how it was read.

The book is very informative and has changed how I think about food and how I eat.

Thank you for writing such an excellent book, thank you for reading it with so much passion.

One of the best books on Food nutrition

This is an amazing book from start to finish packed full of life saving information and suggestions that no doubt will become very valuable.