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In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto Audiobook
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(4.00) - 48,322 listener ratings
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#1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of How to Change Your Mind, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Food Rules Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it? Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion--most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American Paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we see to become. With In Defense of Food, Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating. "Michael Pollan [is the] designated repository for the nation's food conscience."—Frank Bruni, The New York Times " A remarkable volume . . . engrossing . . . [Pollan] offers those prescriptions Americans so desperately crave."—The Washington Post "A tough, witty, cogent rebuttal to the proposition that food can be redced to its nutritional components without the loss of something essential... [a] lively, invaluable book."—Janet Maslin, The New York Times "In Defense of Food is written with Pollan's customary bite, ringing clarity and brilliance at connecting the dots."—The Seattle Times Michael Pollan’s most recent food book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation--the story of our most trusted food expert’s culinary education--was published by Penguin Press in April 2013, and in 2016 it served as the inspiration for a four-part docuseries on Netflix by the same name. Pollan is also the author of How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
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"This was the first Michael Pollan book that I read and I frequently found myself jotting down facts and quotes from the book. Now, having read The Omnivore's Dilemma, this book seems like a condensed form of the former with less focus on the political and capitalistic problems with the food industry and more of a personal health focus. One of my favorite things about Michael Pollan's writing is that he is a very thorough researcher and provides a lot of information to the readers without losing the ability to make the material understandable. This is a must-read for anyone that wants to change the way the think about food."
— Jill (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A tough, witty, cogent rebuttal to the proposition that food can be reduced to its nutritional components without the loss of something essential…[A] lively, invaluable book.”
— Janet Maslin, New York Times -
“Michael Pollan [is the] designated repository for the nation’s food conscience.”
— Frank Bruni, New York Times -
“A remarkable volume…Engrossing…[Pollan] offers those prescriptions Americans so desperately crave.”
— Washington Post -
“In Defense of Food is written with Pollan’s customary bite, ringing clarity, and brilliance at connecting the dots.”
— Seattle Times -
“This powerfully argued, thoroughly researched, and elegant manifesto cuts straight to the chase with a maxim that is deceptively simple: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants…A writer of great subtlety, Pollan doesn’t preach to the choir; in fact, rarely does he preach at all, preferring to let the facts speak for themselves.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“What follows in In Defense of Food is a series of wonderfully clear and thoughtful answers that help us omnivores navigate the nutritional minefield that’s come to typify our food culture…In a season filled with rallying cries to lose weight and be healthy, Pollan’s call to action—“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”—is a program I actually want to follow.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“After reading this book, you may never shop, cook, or eat the same way again.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review -
“[Pollan] has placed himself at the forefront of food writing. The message of the book and its well-written delivery can’t be faulted.”
— Bookmarks Magazine
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
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A Publishers Weekly bestseller
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An ALA Notable Book Finalist for Nonfiction in 2008
In Defense of Food Listener Reviews
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Craig Baker, 4/12/2020
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Randi Dunda, 9/9/2015
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" Great follow up to The Omnivore's Dilemma that helps answer the questions that the first book brings up. For anyone who has read Omnivores, this book should be a required read. "
— Caish, 2/16/2014 -
" After reading this book I find myself thinking about food and nutrition differently. Never before have I been as aware as I am now that much of what I eat (and I think I eat fairly healthily) isn't actually "food." He presents a convince case as to how nutritionalism has slipped into our thinking and repeats his mantra: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." "
— Amy, 2/5/2014 -
" If you love your body and you want to lead a long healthy life free of disease and illness this book is a must read "
— Sue, 1/9/2014 -
" Erg interessant boek over de manier waarop we met eten omgaan en de (te betreuren) ontwikkeling naar een wetenschappelijke benadering van voedsel. Het las niet altijd even makkelijk, maar ik had de indruk dat dat meer aan de Nederlandse vertaling lag dan aan de schrijver. Aanrader! "
— Ditte, 1/4/2014 -
" One of the most influential books I've ever read. "
— Jamie, 12/31/2013 -
" Realistic and simple rules to follow "
— Trina, 12/20/2013 -
" I started this several years ago and just couldn't get into it. Started it again..... what great information. So enjoying it! "
— Jen, 12/12/2013 -
" Ok, but still the China Study is the best book of this type. "
— Mary, 12/10/2013 -
" Great information. Probably a lot of common sense but still loved the reminders. We made the farmer's market a weekly habit this summer. "
— Janelle, 12/8/2013 -
" Excellent book on food, nutrition, and how to not kill yourself with food. "
— Larry, 12/2/2013 -
" Great book. Everyone should read it. Always working to improve what my family eats...and thinking about real food versus food products is a great way to do that. Loved this. "
— Cindy, 11/13/2013 -
" An absolute must read! Fascinating and inspiring book. "
— Tina, 11/4/2013 -
" Fascinating information and mostly likely a book I will reread at some point. "
— Dallas, 10/16/2013 -
" Audiobook is easier than reading it. Loved learning about how little we really know about nutrition. Good educational read for everyone to read. "
— Jennifer, 10/12/2013 -
" super good...really informative. loved the summary chapter at the end. "
— Aharon, 10/11/2013 -
" I didn't quite read all of this but I"m going to count it as read. "
— annavsculture, 4/19/2013 -
" Although it's billed as a follow-up to The Omnivore's Dilemma, I really didn't find anything new here. Having loved Omnivore's Dilemma, this one was fine but felt unnecessary. "
— Cwelshhans, 3/5/2013 -
" how dreadfully I eat! "
— Courtney, 10/25/2012 -
" Great companion to The Omnivore's Dilemma, focused more on the science and study of nutrition and how we came to be so confused "
— Kerry, 9/5/2012 -
" "Eat only what your great grandmother recommends" "
— Pooja, 11/25/2011 -
" Short, simple, and wholesome. "
— Jane, 9/11/2011 -
" Interesting read with some good points made. "
— Magz, 8/9/2011 -
" Groundbreaking. Earth shattering. Dang I want a Twinkie. "
— Nathaniel, 5/24/2011 -
" makes you think. about a lot. helpful suggestions, enlightens you to the political side of what we eat. challenges sugar, soy, corn, etc. should be read by anyone who wants to eat well and feed others, accordingly. "
— kari, 5/21/2011 -
" This is a concise, fascinating read about the dangers of the Western diet and how best we can navigate/simplify the complicated waters of healthy eating. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. "
— Val, 5/19/2011 -
" diets don't work, just eat less processed food - good message "
— Deb, 5/15/2011 -
" Read this book - it will knock your socks off and change the way you think about food. "
— Angela, 5/6/2011
About Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is the author of twelve books, several of which were New York Times bestsellers. In Defense of Food and How to Change Your Mind made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. A long-time contributor to the New York Times Magazine, he teaches writing at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.