The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History Of Four Meals

The Omnivore's Dilemma is a fascinating story about where our food comes from, and it's not an overstatement to say that it changed my life. It sounds like it could be an incredibly boring read - Michael Pollan talks about the modern food production industry by following the path of four different meals, from farm to plate. However, it's anything but boring - I couldn't put this book down, and I recommend it to anyone who is curious about what they're eating.
Even though this is a non-fiction book that is full of facts and figures, it still manages to be a really interesting read because Michael Pollan is such a great storyteller. When he is telling the reader about where a McDonald's meal comes from, he visits an industrial feedlot and describes the disgusting and disturbing sights and smells of where cows are fattened up before slaughter. When he decides to find out what it's like to produce your own food, he describes a hunt for a wild boar that is both funny and frightening. He describes in great detail shooting the boar, bleeding it, and butchering it, and then describes the meal where he serves boar prosciutto to a group of friends. The Omnivore's Dilemma, at its centre, is just a really good story that kept me turning pages late into the night; an unusual way to describe a non-fiction book about the food industry.
More importantly, Pollan's book changed how I understand the food on my plate, and changed how I eat. I was a vegetarian for sixteen years because of my disgust with the industrial farming complex, and what it was doing to our health and our planet. This book changed that. Pollan makes a compelling argument that in order to change the way our food is produced, we can't just opt out of the system as I had for more than half of my life. Instead, it is important to engage in food production that is ethical and environmentally sustainable. I am no longer a vegetarian; I now take part in the system by eating local, sustainably raised meat, and supporting local farmers. This book changed what I eat, and what I feed my family. If you have any curiosity about food, or if you just like a good story, buy this book - it just might change your life, too.

The Omnivore's Dilemma is just fabulous. As a long-time vegetarian I thought I was already aware of the issues concerning where our food comes from, but I learned a lot from this book. Not only is it extremely well written, but the way Pollan goes through his thought process really gets the reader thinking too.
I spotted a few small errors, but nothing major. The author touches on the link between global warming and agriculture, but misses the opportunity to mention what an important factor it is.
Highly recommended!

This book is very informative about the way food gets to our tables. I have to say, it has definitely caused me to be more mindful of the food I purchase and feed my family.
I found it to be a long, slow read as I wanted to absorb everything. It is a reference book full of great information, but presented in an approachable, entertaining way.

Omnivore's Dilemma - catchy title, but after reading this book, there doesn't seem to be any dilemma. The choice is clear.

This book is very well written, well-researched. Pollan has a great vocabulary, prompting a frequent use of the dictionary, but the message couldn't be any clearer. Our food chain is made complex by government policies, business decisions, economics, and history, and it obscures our vision of what it is exactly that we eat. Pollan's book challenges the reader to find a simpler, cleaner, more environmentally friendly, animal-friendly, healthy source of food. Personally I am a changed consumer. I hardly could imagine anyone who reads this book not to embrace its message.