Food Rules

I adore Michael Pollan, much as I adore Jamie Oliver: here are two men who want to reclaim food as an enjoyable, communal experience that should remain as close to the source as possible. But I'll admit that Pollan's books sometimes ramble (for me, at least). The Western diet is a crazy panoply of economic, misinformed, corporation-driven weirdness. Point made. The question I'm more interested in is, how do we apply that knowledge to return to a more sensible mode of eating?

This is why I enjoyed Pollan's Food Rules the most of any of his titles. It is a synthesis of the practical applications of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. As he points out, these are simply potential policies that surround his mantra, "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." These "rules" are ways of looking at, conceptualizing, and applying the mantra. Many overlap, but intentionally so. By repeating the same general principles in different ways, Pollan attempts to find a way for every person to connect with at least a few ideas. These are not nutritional edicts. These are just ways to help people make wise choices when they shop and cook.

Verdict: Utterly enjoyable and delightfully concise!