the omnivore's delimma

            As our time with Pollan comes to a close, I find myself both surer and more confused of my eating habits. Some of what he had to say really struck hard with me; I never knew for instance, just to what degree the corn craziness went in America. Also, I never had a clue about industrial organic, and how different that could be from the original ideal of Organic. Now here in this last section, he’s presented us with another truly interesting concept, and one I had no clue about before: The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

            This thought, that we are more susceptible to food confusion due to our ability as Omnivores to eat just about anything is fascinating. I can see how in our day to day life, presented with so many food choices as we are, it makes perfect sense that we could easily get confused, end up eating what ever is easiest on us, which very well may not be the best choice in terms of health.

            Also, I must congratulate Pollan because he’s one of the few who in simple discussion of the ethics surrounding us and meat eating, got me to really think about whether it is right or wrong to eat meat. I’m still in the school of omnivores, I like veggies, but I’m a meat eater to. I think that in today’s world though, it’s not such a simple choice anymore. Due to a large variety of factors and experiences, I’ve come to be very comfortable with the moral choice of eating meat. But where it used to be a simple choice, I think now as people are becoming more aware of the conditions our food animals have to endure, through books like this one, people are having to face the facts.

            Pollan manages to outline all the arguments and counterarguments for both sides, and in doing so, really makes you think about which side may be right, or which side you are on. For me, the fact that there are carnivores in nature makes it simpler. While I disagree with how we treat cows, and chickens, and while I think we should improve their living conditions and treatment, I still intend to eat them because it’s just…natural.

            All of the moral debate brought up by him aside, taking a look at the book as a whole, I really enjoyed reading this. While he does do a good job of spacing out the science, due to his writing style and methods, it can get very slow at times. Even then though, it remains quite interesting. Where Bourdain delved a little into where our food comes from, Pollan does so to a much greater degree.  Also, in diving into where our food comes from, Pollan focuses much more on the psychology of eating. He looks at what drives us to eat the way we do, and while he doesn’t offer any answers, he does do a good job of clearly showing us what is wrong with our methods. Overall, I’m very glad I got the chance to read this book.