I've been wanting to read this book after having read this review in the Atlantic Monthly. The review said that the author gave a thrilling and thorough account of the role corn plays in our food industry, and that's something I've been wanting to learn more about after I finished Fast Food Nation. The review was pretty critical of the book because of the way it justified men's position at the top of the food chain. While I share the reviewer's concern for animal welfare, I'm curious to see what a carnivore who chose to engage in ethical debates about eating animals with vegetarians would say.
Although I've been devoting more and more portions of my waking hours in the acquisition and creation of good food, I still shy away from wearing the label "foodie." For a long time, the gourmand's appetite for more seems like an addition, while his insistence on being specific in the choice of ingredients and methods of preparation struck me as a little dandy. I used to think back in college that since everything we put in our mouth comes out the same, it's almost criminal to spend too much time on eating. I got into cooking mainly because I needed a hobby that doesn't require too much brain power while at the same time has a relatively quick payoff.
The first chapter was interesting. Pollan promises to trace every element of the three food chains that we have today: industrial, organic, and primitive (hunting and gathering your own food). Can't wait to finish it.
No comments:
Post a Comment