Book Review: The Omnivores Dilemma

Here we go! Three for three weeks in a row! Yay blogging!

The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

Having read both The Omnivores Dilemma and The Botany of Desire (review forthcoming) I can say that Pollan has an initial line of inquiry in these books that is similar to what strikes many of us when we’re sitting at the computer. For most of us it goes something like this, “I wonder who that one dude is from that episode of Buffy the Vampire?” 

Nicholas Brendon. You were thinking of Nicholas Brendon.

Then, solving that mystery pulls us all over this vast place we call the internet. Similarly, Pollan starts with the simple question of “what happened to bread in the American diet?” From there Pollan decides that he is going to 1) trace a meal from farm to plate and 2) see if he can put together a meal totally free of any processing. Along the way he makes some very interesting discoveries and some very interesting musings.

First, a word about Pollan’s writing style. He doesn’t so much present arguments as he does curate a museum. What I mean by this is that typically Pollan will present a point of interest, muses about it for a while, and then move on to a new subject. Like a museum guide. For an analytical mind like mine I prefer closure. I prefer tight arguments that prove points. So I’m gonna ding Pollan on this one. That being said, his writing style is also very alluring (like the internet example above) I found myself eager to turn the page and hear his next thought.

Pollan’s journey from the corn fields of Iowa to the mushroom hunting grounds of northern California is a fascinating journey from beginning to end. What makes it so interesting is that Omnivores explores where our food comes from. Something we often don’t think about in this highly industrialized food culture of ours. From beginning to end Pollan provides (terrible pun imminent) lots of food for thought.

Ultimately this book is more conversation piece than masterpiece. My poor long suffering wife had to hear me bring up examples from this book for 2 weeks straight. That is, however, the cool thing about this book; it provides you lots of stuff to talk about with your friends. But what the book won’t do is provide you definitive answers or change your mind. Pollan just doesn’t go there and that is the greatest weakness of the book. Pollan seldom explores and never tells the reader how this deluge of information about the food industry should change their mind about how they eat.

How does this help me be a man?

The most interesting interaction of the books comes about half way through when Pollan meets an all natural farmer named Joel. Joel is, unapologetically, Christian (from what we can tell anyways.) It is fascinating to see how Joel’s upfront-ness about his faith and how that relates to his farming really throws Pollan off guard. In my favorite section of the book Pollan and Joel are beheading chickens. Pollan asks Joel if he ever has doubts about what he is doing. Joel replies simply that chickens don’t have souls and were designed to be eaten. No moral ambiguity necessary.

The contrast between Pollan’s constant skepticism and uncertainty and Joel’s confident demeanor is a great lesson for Christian men. Joel goes about doing and saying what he believes to be right because he is certain in his convictions about creation and God. Pollan never gets there. He never is firmly convicted one way or the other and his book is weaker for it. Christian men should strive to be like Joel; certain and confident in their convictions.

Recommendation

If you’re anything like me you haven’t put much thought into where your food comes from. This book is a great read if you’re looking for some info about the food industry. But if you want strong convictions and powerful arguments about how and what you should eat you won’t find it here.

Pick this one up from the library or listen to it on audiobook.