In Defense of Food

An Eater's Manifesto

De: Michael Pollan

Narrado por: Scott Brick

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Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion--most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science.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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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

"What should I eat for dinner tonight? Here is Pollan's brilliant, succinct and nuanced answer to this question: 'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.'" —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"In Defense of Food is written with Pollan's customary bite, ringing clarity and brilliance at connecting the dots." —The Seattle Times

"This is an important book, short but pithy, and, like the word 'food,' not simple at all." —New York Post

"With his lucid style and innovative research, Pollan deserves his reputation as one of the most respectable voices in the modern debate about food." —The Financial Times

Sneering, condescending narrator

I don't know that I've ever written this on this site, but I think this is a book better read than heard. At least, it's better read than heard with this narrator.

His general tone is one of sneering condescension, as he explains things that his tone seems to indicate any idiot should know. It's as if he's sprinkling vinegar, rather than honey, while attempting to convert a group of flies.

There is a lot of good information in this book. I had many questions as to the origin of the information provided. Perhaps the printed edition includes footnotes.

I have to say that the book gave me a lot to think about, and I will be adjusting my diet.

Some information in this book hasn’t aged well

It’s a pretty good book with a lot of useful advice. However, the information about moderate alcohol consumption being healthier than no alcohol consumption has been proven false. Any amount of alcohol consumption, even moderate consumption, negatively impacts your health. You will always be better off with no alcohol than with moderate alcohol because the higher occurrence of alcohol related diseases in even moderate drinkers overshadows the modest cardiovascular benefits attributed to alcohol.
It’s fine to drink a little, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s healthy, it’s not!

It’s always a good idea to cite your sources when making a claim, so here are mine

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)30134-X/fulltext

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol

A must read for anyone who eats

If you could sum up In Defense of Food in three words, what would they be?

Life changing information

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Defense of Food?

The message about Big Food having a very palpable political influence

Which scene was your favorite?

The sociological experiment with the indigenous tribe that had started moving into urban centers, also the psychological associations with food in Americans vs other nationalities.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh in parts.

Any additional comments?

I LOVE MICHAEL POLLAN!!! You can't eat without reading all his books if you care about your health (and the health of the planet) at all!

One of the best books I've read

What did you love best about In Defense of Food?

Put together the answers I have read a million books to find about health and nutrition.

a great read

Good book to read for aspiring chefs as my self and anybody who cares about what they eat.