The Omnivore's dilemma: industrial corn, pastoral grass, and forest systems

Omnivore's Dilemma/Part III

Part III of the Omnivore's Dilemma: Food Directly from the Source

The purpose of Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, is to show that the choices we make about the foods we eat are not always simple. The book is divided into three parts; in each part Pollan attempts to eat from a shorter food chain. Part III of the book, the subject of this review, is entitled "The Forager," and it is about Pollan's meal "at the end of the shortest food chain of all" (Pollan, 2006, p. 276). One will not necessarily change one's eating habits permanently as the result of reading the book. However, Pollan presents a tremendous amount of interesting and surprising information about the food we eat, and it is impossible to read the book and fail to be more reflective about food choices.

Pollan had never hunted before his experiment, or even fired a gun. He did not grow up in a culture of hunters, though he did have some experience in gathering food from the wild. As a child, he foraged for berries and picked beach plums with his mother. These pursuits were largely recreational; Pollan's goal in his forager experiment was to make a meal as though he really had to provide for himself with what he could find in the wild. Chapter sixteen's title also provides the title for the book. The omnivore's dilemma, a phrase coined in 1976, refers to the many choices of foodstuffs provided by nature and how the choices are made. As Pollan points out, the monarch butterfly has no thought or feeling about feasting on milkweed. Humans, on the other hand, are physiologically capable of handling a wide variety of foods. Humans have the capacity to choose. They also have the capacity to cook, or otherwise alter the food as it is found in nature. All these choices can complicate decisions the omnivore makes about what to eat.

Modern man has further expanded the range of foods through engineering and manufacturing. It has not been a benefit to overall health. In fact, Pollan talks about "America's national eating disorder" (p. 298). He believes the nation's eating habits become worse the more disconnected people come from the food source. He also believes, as he explains in chapter 17, that eating meat has become a moral issue for increasing numbers of people.

One of the greatest strengths in Pollan's writing is the way his passion comes through so clearly. He thought very carefully about his subject before he started his research and writing. He designed his experiences so he could gather as much information as possible and make informed decisions about his choices. Pollan's writing style is clear and easy to understand. He includes factual information as well as personal experience to help persuade the reader. If one does not become a vegetarian after reading the book, one is likely to at least think about the choices we have in today's marketplace. Pollan urges us to eat more healthfully and provides compelling evidence to try to convince us.