Food & Society Memo: Michael Pollan on the Pleasures of Eating: Part Duex

Yesterday, we published the first chapter of writer ("The Ominvor's Dilemma") and University of California at Berkeley Journalism professor Michael Pollan's new book, "In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto," which was excerpted in the UK-based Guardian newspaper.

In today's issue of the Guardian, the second part of Pollan's introductory chapters is published in an essay written by Pollan.

In the essay, "How to get back to real food," Pollan says we need to rediscover the simple rules of healthy eating. To that end, Pollan offers his recipe for reclaiming control over what he calls "our disastrous diets."

Pollan's new book is on sale beginning this week. We wanted to give our readers a sneak preview, as we believe the book will be much discussed among food industry professionals, nutritionists, farmers, consumer advocates, environmental groups, consumers and others interested in what we eat and how we grow and market our food.

Read the essay/excerpt from Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto" here.

More on Pollan:

Read more about Pollan's new book, what he cooks and eats at home, where he shops, and other food and nutrition issues in this profile, "What Would Michael Pollan Eat?" by Carol Ness in the San Francisco Chronicle. Hint: He's not anti-meat, nor is he a "food fanatic."

Resources:

>You can read a review (December 30, 2007) of Pollan's new book, "In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto," here.

>You can also read a review, from 2006, of his best selling book, "An Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals," here.

Food & Society Memo: Michael Pollan on the Pleasures of Eating

Writer Michael Pollan, author of the best selling book "The Omnivor's Dilemma," has a new book coming out this week.

The book, "In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto" suggests there once was a time when knowing what to eat was easy. It not only was encoded in our genes so to speak, it also was culturally based, and a decision unfettered by so many middle men.

Over the past 40 years however, Pollan says the food industry and nutritionists have interfered with out diet. Among the results of that interference, Pollan argues, is confusion--and an epidemic of food-related diseases.

The book won't be published until January 31. However, Pollan published the first two chapters from his book in tomorrow's (Monday, January 7) issue of the United Kingdom-based Guardian newspaper.

Pollan's central point in the excerpt from the first chapters of his new book (which are published in the Guardian in essay form) is that it's time to forget about the science and marketing--and rediscover the pleasures of eating.

Like his book "The Omnivor's Dilemma," Pollan's new book is likely to get lots of attention and stimulate much discussion among consumers, nutritionists, farmers, the food industry and others interested in what we eat and how we grow and market food. We give you a preview here before the book comes out on January 31.

Read Pollan's essay from the Guardian here.