Omnivores Dilemma

Wasn't sure whether I 'd like this one, but I'm really glad I read it. When I was part way through it, I described it to someone at the library as "a more erudite Fast Food Nation." Where Fast Food Nation was an expose of the fast food industry, The Omnivores Dilemma is more an exploration of the food industry as a whole. The basic format is that he traces four meals back from their origins to the plate - a fast food meal, a meal entirely from "organic" sources, a meal mostly from a certain sustainable farm that he spent a week learning the workings of, and a meal entirely of foods that he hunted or foraged. He never feels like he's preaching to the reader about how the food industry should be; although it seems like it's hard not to be critical of the huge factory farms and slaughterhouses that feed the fast food empires. The longest and most interesting section is on the "sustainable" farm he spent time at; he obviously was impressed with the way the farm operated as a whole. It was intriguing and inspiring; made me wonder if the ecosystem that they had created could work in a different climate; like Nevada. Anyway, great read - what good non-fiction should be, engaging and thought-provoking.

Book 8