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's courage & dedication, another's inspiration

A teacher of many interests and trades. Anyone who wishes to, or already does value true connection to people and the world would appreciate this book. There's a lot to learn in the experiences of the past and present.

interesting personal perspective

Pollan writes a very convincing case for the locovore movement and speaks plain sense from personal experience without being preachy.

Thoughtful and engrossing

An excellent and thoughtful exploration of what it means to be conscious of the ecosystem, both natural and industrial, that creates our food

Really makes you hate corn

This is an interesting story about some background on the predominant modern diet that most of us don't think about or are utterly unaware of.

Oldie but a goodie

In terms of content and how much changes, being 10 years old information is old. Great things to think about and then try to apply. The minor detail last chapter is kind of slow with the amount of detail he went into forging and hunting. Definitely overall good things to think about!

Excellent

I have talked about this book to numerous friend's and have really been moved by what it said. This is not just a book, but a piece of our culture. I think it should be required reading.

EXCELLENT!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook! Thoughtful and intelligent. If you eat food, it is a must read/listen!

Thought provoking

Informative on many levels... thought provoking...
and buying local is now emphasized in my purchasing decisions...

Helps me appreciate where my food comes from.

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

I think I will.

What other book might you compare The Omnivore's Dilemma to and why?

I think it pares well with "Folks This Ain't Normal."

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

I like the way it was told and I think the performance was spot on.

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

I really appreciate the hard work that goes into gathering, preparing, and hunting for food.

Any additional comments?

I love to cook and spend a lot of time at it and this book helps me to reaffirm my dedication and the time I spend shopping, cooking, and packaging meals for my whole family.
Wish my wife could listen to it so she would understand why I am so crazy about preparing healthy, sustainable, and organic foods for our family, and sending her away with a healthy packaged lunch, and why I get so upset when she doesn't eat it and goes for restaurant food instead - grrr.

Must read for every American

I loved the moderate approach taken in this book, the author never gets too preachy and instead of just quoting articles and studies he goes out and has the experience and documents it with excellent detail, i think every one should know the things we never think about but really should know as common knowledge