Free stuff is pretty awesome. You don’t even have to put an argument together for it, it’s generally agreed on as a near-universal truth. Really the only possible exception is when it’s crap, and hopefully the use of the phrase “free stuff” as opposed to “free crap” would imply there’s at least a marginal amount of redeemable value. So really, free stuff doesn’t need much of a defense at all.
The same can’t really be said about food, unfortunately.
I stumbled onto Pollan’s book randomly in an airport a number of years back and it changed my whole attitude about the way I eat. Though I hadn’t read any Pollan before, I knew his name and was aware enough of the US agro-industrial complex to know it warranted some serious concern (putting it lightly).
The great thing about Michael Pollan’s writing is that he’s one of the few writers in his field who manages to be both very informational and highly motivating without sounding like he’s shouting from an ivory tower. He’s funny. He tells stories. And he’s not out to shock you into change, or make you feel guilt for the way you eat.
If there were only one book I could ever recommend about both diet and food, this is the one. And that’s why I’m giving one away for free to a randomly selected commenter on this post.
In “In Defense of Food,” Pollan explains the history of nutrition science – where it came from, where it’s going, and what the problems are with it. He makes it simple to understand the faults with, not only trend dieting, but also government / FDA approved dietary guidelines. The book defines the Western Diet and follows our cultural history’s path in arriving where we are today, as a country and as a species, and accounts for the reasons why we’re so confused that fad diet books routinely sit on the top of bestseller lists for weeks and months at a time.
Best of all, he includes simple guidelines for stepping off the mechanized conveyor belt of CAFO meats / factories -> stores and restaurants -> consumers that is today’s US food industry. A few select guidelines here, which are further elaborated in the text…
- Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
- Get out of the supermarket whenever possible.
- Avoid food products that make health claims.
- Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.
- You are what what you eat eats too.
Some of the guidelines are intuitive, others not so much. But they are all well explained and make a whole lot of sense.
I’ve read this book about 4 or 5 times now. It’s such an easy and pleasant read that I just keep picking it back up every few months, and every time there is more to learn.
So to win a free copy, care of me, leave a comment and tell me what you think is the most confusing, most contradicting, and/or most frustrating thing about your diet and your trips to the market. This can be what you’ve read in magazines, what you hear from the government, what you read on food labels, what your mother told you as a child, anything at all. Or, just post and tell me you want the book. That’s fair too. Contest closes at 9pm Thursday, March 18th, and the winner will be announced on the following day. 839VJNVBSAHW
