# michael pollan --?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2009, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068 "2009-01-13T10:20:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jessesheeran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@jessesheeran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jessesheeran)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/1 "2009-01-13T10:20:01Z")
is anyone else interested in his ideas? I’m new to this stuff, so take it easy on me. It was mostly about a guy on PBS on the bill moyers show that had a very advanced view of how to make better use of the farmland and how better eating habits could change the whole economy. He said 40 percent of all the food grown in the US is fed to animals which are then slaughtered. Also, he said all the corn syrup for soda is waste of energy, because it is so processed that it takes 10 raw calories to come out with one in the end. its this guy [http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11282008/profile.html](http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11282008/profile.html) michael pollan ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/2 "2009-01-13T12:37:49Z")
I’ve read a bunch of his stuff in the New York Times and found it thought-provoking. I read the article that I believe was an excerpt from, or was expanded into his Food Manifesto book. I have not read that book - and it sounds like your facts from him may come from that book, I don’t know - but it seems more politicized. At this point, I haven’t had the time to look further… ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/3 "2009-01-13T13:41:28Z")
His [_In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto_](http://www.amazon.com/Defense-Food-Eaters-Manifesto/dp/1594201455/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231853713&sr=8-1) came out of his previous book, [_The Omnivore’s Dilemma_](http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231853713&sr=8-2), which looked at how food is produced in this country. The follow up was to help people whose eyes were opened by the latter book who wanted to know how they should be making their food choices, given what he described. I’ve been a fan since [_Second Nature: Education of a Gardener_,](http://www.amazon.com/Second-Nature-Gardeners-Michael-Pollan/dp/0802140114/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231853713&sr=8-4) and I’ve recommended his [_Botany of Desire_](http://www.amazon.com/Botany-Desire-Plants-Eye-View-World/dp/0375760393/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231853713&sr=8-3) to my fellow Dopers too many times to count. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/4 "2009-01-13T17:10:08Z")
I’m a huge, huge fan. I started with Botany of Desire and have read everything except his house one, which is on my list. Not only is he a great, easy read, but I’m amazed at how often he is quoted in other books. Example, I just read “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” and she refers to him often. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/5 "2009-01-13T19:58:03Z")
I’ve read Defense and Omnivore. The strange thing about his books is that suddenly I - who cannot manage to grow a pot of tomatos - think maybe organic gardening is the career for me…they are inspiring in a strange way. (Being somewhat more pragmatic, I decided to shop more at the farmer’s market rather than invest in chickens). ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/6 "2009-01-13T20:36:23Z")
I read and liked _In Defense of Food_. My husband listened to an interview with Pollan on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” not that long ago, and liked his message as well. Plus the easy ‘distillation’ of the main points of that book is great in helping you remember his points or explain them to others. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Then you can expand from there, like saying that “Eat food” means **real** food, not processed stuff in a box - from there you can cite the “Grandmother rule”: If anyone’s great(?)-grandmother would recognize the item as being food, it’s acceptable for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/7 "2009-01-13T20:43:02Z")
An argument against corn syrup for soda because it’s calorically inefficient sounds pretty wildly Crazy Eddie to me. It’s like banning driving at night because you burn more fuel powering the headlights. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/8 "2009-01-13T20:57:22Z")
Reminds me of when I was in high school and I was getting an “A” in a course yet my mother always found ways I could do it better and be more productive 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jessesheeran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@jessesheeran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jessesheeran)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/9 "2009-01-16T10:02:03Z")
what about toaster strudels ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/10 "2009-01-16T10:12:05Z")
> [@jessesheeran](#): > > what about toaster strudels They’re yummy. Yummy trumps everything except things that produce orgasms. ---
**Author:** ![jessesheeran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@jessesheeran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jessesheeran)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/11 "2009-01-16T10:35:02Z")
yes, to michael pollan’s credit though, he said that eveyone will have special favorite treat food, that might be made in the most horrible way, and he said its ok to eat it with moderation ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-pollan/481068/12 "2009-01-16T10:59:29Z")
> [@jessesheeran](#): > > yes, > > to michael pollan’s credit though, he said that eveyone will have special favorite treat food, that might be made in the most horrible way, > > and he said its ok to eat it with moderation How very zen of him.