Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub. Date: August 2007
ISBN-13: 9780143038580
Pages: 464pp

I started this book back in October of 2008 and I never truly finished it, I gave up in the home stretch. I just knew if I didn't put it down for good, I'd never finish this challenge. It's not that the book was bad, in fact it was really enlightening. I've even changed a lot of the things I eat because of this book. I'm eating much more organic food, albeit industrial organic, and trying to cut back on my intake of reconstituted petroleum products. Nothing grosses me out more than thinking about eating oil.

This book actually went along very nicely with my previous food book on Twinkies. It complemented the discussion on how our food is actually made and processed. This book has a clear bias against industrialized food process, and although I'm not going to go out and fact-check, I'm reasonably certain Pollan has it right. Much of this information gelled with what I read in Fast Food Nation. And despite how it grosses me out, its better to know, then I can start eating actual food instead of processed nonsense. Organic has stopped meaning "yuppie" started meaning "smart".

The Omnivore's Dilemma is split into four parts that delve into the economics of various times of meals: fast food, organic, hunted, and gathered. The most interesting parts are the fast food/industrial and the organic sections. Learning about how animals are processed for food is really enlightening, whether you are an animal activist or not. I personally don't have any moral dilemmas killing animals for food, they are so delicious, and I'm glad that I don't have to do it for myself. But, I also think the way we currently run industrial feedlots, etc., is not only inhumane, but terribly disgusting and inefficient. The way in which the animals are forced to wallow in their own feces is just unspeakable, especially when you consider that you'll be eating that animal. Would you eat from a jar of peanut butter than was sitting in a pile of dog poop? (That analogy isn't the greatest, but it think about it: Could you ever be certain that in cleaning the jar and then eating from it that you didn't miss any disease-ridden microbes? No you can't, just like you can't be certain that animals wallowing in their own feces don't spread disease throughout the factory's supply as they are being cleaned and processed.)

Then the part that discusses industrial organic against local organic and grass-fed is even more helpful. It made me long for the day that I can afford to purchase meat and produce from a self-sustaining grass-fed farm. It's not economically viable for most people (nor is it geographically viable) so industrial organic is your best bet. At least you know that you're consuming foods without pesticides and petroleum additives.

The last part of the book bored me so much I couldn't finish it. It just doesn't have the same attention-holding power because I know that there is no chance I'll be hunting or gathering anything ever.

I gave this book 3 out of 5, mainly because I had such a hard time finishing it. But it is definitely a must read for those interested in food processing or organic foods.