Review: In Defense of Food
Author: Michael Pollan
Published Date: 2008
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
If you've read anything about Mr. Pollan's musings on food you've heard this phrase; it is the thesis of In Defense of Food. The introduction explains that this book was written in response to the number of people who read his earlier book about the food industry, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and requested some actual diet advice.
The book is still filled with interesting anecdotes about specific foods (skim milk for example; what exactly do you think needs to maintain the appearance of milk after you remove the fat?), but it strives to give you a more general philosophy to follow when shopping, cooking or foraging. The best way to gain that philosophy is to understand the (mostly recent) history of food, especially through food science and "nutritionism".
Pollan surveys the history quickly, and explains why your own gut is probably a better source of food intel than any diet book or government program. I definitely started eating better after reading this book.
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