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The Omnivore's Dilemma, Young Readers Edition: The Secrets Behind What You Eat
The New York Times bestseller that's changing America's diet is now perfect for young readers.
“What’s for dinner?” seemed like a simple question—until journalist and supermarket detective Michael Pollan delved behind the scenes. From fast food and big organic to small farms and old-fashioned hunting and gathering, this young readers’ adaptation of Pollan’s famous food-ch
...morePaperback, 298 pages
Published
October 15th 2009
by Dial Books
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I was tricked by the library into borrowing the "young readers" version of the e-book and was wondering all the way through why sections felt so disconnected and truncated before realizing it wasn't the full book. Regardless, it was a great read in a rapidly expanding genre of food awareness. Sadly, I'd already read one of Salatin's books and watched more than a few CAFO oriented documentaries so much of the book was a review, but I truly enjoyed his hunter-gatherer story. Maybe I'l...more
Non avrei mai creduto che un libro del genere potesse attirarmi al punto da iniziare a sfogliarlo per curiosità ieri pomeriggio e ritrovarmi a leggerlo avidamente fino alla fine senza interruzioni... Pollan ha fatto una vera e propria ricerca sull'origine del cibo (e sulla sua destinazione) senza limitarsi a mettersi davanti ad un pc o ad un'enciclopedia per raccogliere informazioni al riguardo, ma andando sul posto, spesso prestando anche lavoro sul posto e seguendo tutti i processi che ci vogl...more
In realtà mi era capitato già di sfogliare questo libro anni fa, solo che fino a quando non l'ho iniziato non me ne ero resa conto. Complice la copertina, assolutamente d'effetto!, e la moltitudine di autori che mi vorticano in testa da qualche anno a questa parte, ho impiegato quasi 1/3 del libro ad accorgermi che questo non è altro che una ristampa - diretta a un pubblico più giovane - de "Il dilemma dell'onnivoro" pubblicato nel 2008 dall'Adelphi.
La Giunti Y nuovamente si ripropone ...more
La Giunti Y nuovamente si ripropone ...more
Where do burgers come from? They start in feedlots where tens of thousands of cows stand on a hill of manure and eat from concrete troughs; their feed can contain chicken and cattle manure, chocolate, stale pastry, cement dust, molasses, candy, urea, hooves, feathers, meat scraps, fish meal, pasta, peanut skins, brewery wastes, cardboard, corn silage, pesticides.
And fries? Most potatoes start in huge fields sprayed with chemicals so toxic that no one's allowed to enter that field for five...more
And fries? Most potatoes start in huge fields sprayed with chemicals so toxic that no one's allowed to enter that field for five...more
So somehow when I placed a hold to read this e-book on my phone I didn't realize it was the "Young Readers edition". I'd hate to think it's for "Kids" though. Yikes. I read it anyway. I don't know how much the topics differ in the original but it was interesting. The first third of the book is all about corn corn and a side of corn so if you know about that already, you can skip that. I'm tired of hearing about "omg did you know our society is based on corn and eve...more
I read the young reader's edition since it's what I came across at the library. I hope I didn't miss anything too vital. It was a very interesting read. I learned a lot and was shocked to learn about a "wet mill" and I think I need to reread it in order to understand it better. Unlike many people, I'm pretty aware that the meat I find in the grocery store didn't come from there. After all, my grandfather was a rancher and my mom lived in a cabin in the mountains every summer growing u...more
[Note: this is the Young Readers Edition]
Michael Pollan provides an in-depth account of where our food comes from – approaching the topic by examining the ingredients of several different types of “meals,” the Industrial Meal, the Industrial Organic Meal, the Local Sustainable Meal, and the Do-It-Yourself Meal (hunted, gathered, and gardened food).
Although this is the “young readers’” edition, it doesn’t seem dumbed down at all. Young readers and their adult parents ca...more
Michael Pollan provides an in-depth account of where our food comes from – approaching the topic by examining the ingredients of several different types of “meals,” the Industrial Meal, the Industrial Organic Meal, the Local Sustainable Meal, and the Do-It-Yourself Meal (hunted, gathered, and gardened food).
Although this is the “young readers’” edition, it doesn’t seem dumbed down at all. Young readers and their adult parents ca...more
I would love to use this book somehow in our seventh grade's environmental education unit this spring, as 'the secrets behind what you eat' are definitely linked to how we use (or abuse) our environment.
Similar to the end of In Defense of Food, this book offers advice of how we can help support a local, sustainable food movement, even though we don't have the power to change government subsidies overnight.
I. Eat Real Food
A. Don't eat anything your great-grandmothe...more
Similar to the end of In Defense of Food, this book offers advice of how we can help support a local, sustainable food movement, even though we don't have the power to change government subsidies overnight.
I. Eat Real Food
A. Don't eat anything your great-grandmothe...more
A bit sing-songy in tone (now I'm curious as to how the adult version reads!) but interesting so far.
...
I really enjoyed reading this book, often despite its content. The author reveals the "food chain" that leads to each of four different kinds of meals: industrial/processed; industrial "organic"; truly organic, sustainable farming; and hunter/gatherer. Of course we start with the most appalling first.
After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I was al...more
...
I really enjoyed reading this book, often despite its content. The author reveals the "food chain" that leads to each of four different kinds of meals: industrial/processed; industrial "organic"; truly organic, sustainable farming; and hunter/gatherer. Of course we start with the most appalling first.
After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I was al...more
I read the first half of the unabridged version several months ago but got bogged down. So when I saw my library had the young reader's edition, I decided to try this one instead. Great book. It traces the provenance of 4 meals--industrial, industrial organic, local mostly organic, and hunted/gathered yourself. Fascinating stuff, lots to think about.
One note--Goodreads says this is "for kids" but it's really more for adolescents...I think it's a great read for a teen to find ...more
One note--Goodreads says this is "for kids" but it's really more for adolescents...I think it's a great read for a teen to find ...more
Ho aperto questo libro con uno sguardo sospettoso, ho osservato la copertina un po' preoccupata e ho iniziato a sfogliarlo dubbiosa. Un libro sul cibo? No, non fa per me. Date le mie (non)doti da cuoca, non pensavo che questo genere di libro potesse incuriosirmi, ma già dalla prime pagine, grazie allo stile semplice e immediato, sono stata catturata in questo viaggio nel cibo americano. Michael Pollan è una guida perfetta per indagare su questo argomento, alternando informazioni puramente tecnic...more
It's been a few years since I read the original Omnivore's Dilemma, and I had a somewhat difficult time pinpointing the differences between the two versions. I think this version perhaps has more illustrations and sidebars, and there are a few paragraphs at the end which speak specifically to teens. It's still a challenging book, though, especially in content. Pollan doesn't sugarcoat the industrial food system for young people...which is probably a good thing. This book is definitely for a ...more
This is called The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids on Goodreads but my book refers to it as the Young Readers Edition (I have the same book as the one pictured on Goodreads... they must have changed the title somewhere along the line). Young Readers Edition is a better title b/c this isn't really a children's book. I'd say it's geared more for middle school-aged readers, although an advanced elementary schooler could certainly read it.
Don't let the title fool you though, it's an exce...more
Don't let the title fool you though, it's an exce...more
I inadvertently received the Young Readers edition of this book when I put it on hold at the library. I'm glad I did. The title of my book was the young readers edition (Not "The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids" as mentioned in goodreads.)
This was a very easy and educational read. Michael Pollan takes us through the food chain of 4 different meals: the industrial meal (i.e. McDonald's), the industrial organic meal (i.e. items purchased at Whole Foods), the local sustainable...more
This was a very easy and educational read. Michael Pollan takes us through the food chain of 4 different meals: the industrial meal (i.e. McDonald's), the industrial organic meal (i.e. items purchased at Whole Foods), the local sustainable...more
I didn't really like it. For me it was a little to bias for my liking. At the same time it had some educational parts to it also.
In the youth edition of the Omnivore’s Dilemma, journalist and self-described food detective Michael Pollan takes the same approach he used in his adult book by examining four different food chains and meals: Industrial (McDonalds), Industrial Organic (Whole Foods), Local Sustainable (Virginia’s Polyface farms) and Hunter-Gather (or, you find it, you catch it, you grow it). Written in a clear and lively style, Pollan makes a compelling case that the dominant industrial model where corn is king i...more
Giulia
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
EVERYONE
Recommended to Giulia by:
Ms. Miller
Loved the book, some parts made me gag, some made me feel good about the smaller food chains in our country. But living in a city can make it difficult to have access to local sustainable or organic foods, while at the same time it can make it easier. However, every food item or edible-food-like-substance I see, I am afraid to eat it because all I can think about is "What did this orange go through to get to me? Or that bag of peanuts? Or the chicken that laid these eggs that's in my breakf...more
First impression of this book: I suddenly want to buy about 20 acres or so of land and just grow my own food.
I'm only slightly kidding there. I've always been a backyard gardener, partly because my mom had a garden growing up, partly because I like playing in the dirt, and partly because I've always felt food I've grown myself tastes better. This book made me understand why the food tastes better, and why I like gardening so much. The idea that we eat healthier when we have a closer...more
I'm only slightly kidding there. I've always been a backyard gardener, partly because my mom had a garden growing up, partly because I like playing in the dirt, and partly because I've always felt food I've grown myself tastes better. This book made me understand why the food tastes better, and why I like gardening so much. The idea that we eat healthier when we have a closer...more
Well written. Well researched. Pollan tries to follow the food chain from the field to the table. Hard in the U.S. when the manufacturers don't want the public to know what goes on. He does a good job of explaining things to kids.
To be fair, it is a little one sided. He wants people to go back to cooking, back to enjoying food together, and not for people to eat on the run as Americans are wont to do.
But I do think if you are going to be a consumer, you have to have ...more
To be fair, it is a little one sided. He wants people to go back to cooking, back to enjoying food together, and not for people to eat on the run as Americans are wont to do.
But I do think if you are going to be a consumer, you have to have ...more
Fascinating, sometimes stomach-turning and, especially, thought provoking. Many kids are interested in these issues--this will give them lots of solid info to think about. And I think the kids' version is tighter and less ruminative than the adult version--just the "meat" and fewer sides--grass fed, of course!
Pollan talks about why we eat meat, how meat is raised (beef and chicken), big agribusiness versus big organic, versus small and local. He even creates one meal totall...more
Pollan talks about why we eat meat, how meat is raised (beef and chicken), big agribusiness versus big organic, versus small and local. He even creates one meal totall...more
Secrets Behind what you Eat
Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan is a great book that tells you what to eat and what not to eat. Michael Pollan describes where your food was before it was on your plate, what chemicals are used to make it and what the organic sticker on your banana actually means. Did you know most of all the food we eat has corn in it? You soda is 100 percent corn. Your Milk shake is 78 percent corn and your Cheese...more
Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan is a great book that tells you what to eat and what not to eat. Michael Pollan describes where your food was before it was on your plate, what chemicals are used to make it and what the organic sticker on your banana actually means. Did you know most of all the food we eat has corn in it? You soda is 100 percent corn. Your Milk shake is 78 percent corn and your Cheese...more
What was Noteworthy:
-Book is non-fiction. It is a mix of a memoir of Pollan eating a healthy diet and a guide on eating better for yourself.
-Being more of a guide than a book, The Omnivore's Dilemma has no real theme. Maybe the theme of "Choosing a healthy and natural diet" is present in this book, but I would not recommend this book for it's theme.
-The main protagonist is Pollan. He goes on a journey to find the perfect meal. Becoming a vegetarian ...more
-Book is non-fiction. It is a mix of a memoir of Pollan eating a healthy diet and a guide on eating better for yourself.
-Being more of a guide than a book, The Omnivore's Dilemma has no real theme. Maybe the theme of "Choosing a healthy and natural diet" is present in this book, but I would not recommend this book for it's theme.
-The main protagonist is Pollan. He goes on a journey to find the perfect meal. Becoming a vegetarian ...more
Cosa mangiamo veramente?
E' un paradosso sentirlo dire (anzi, leggerlo) da un'amante del trash food come me, una ventiquattrenne che prima inghiotte il boccone e poi, semmai, chiede cos'è. E che a volte non vuole nemmeno saperlo.
Michael Pollan, in occasione di una visita alla Magic Valley, che a sentir lui -così scrive nell'introduzione- gli ha fatto passare per sempre la voglia di mangiare patatine fritte, decide di scoprirlo.
Nella prima sezione del libro l'autore analizza quattro catene aliment...more
E' un paradosso sentirlo dire (anzi, leggerlo) da un'amante del trash food come me, una ventiquattrenne che prima inghiotte il boccone e poi, semmai, chiede cos'è. E che a volte non vuole nemmeno saperlo.
Michael Pollan, in occasione di una visita alla Magic Valley, che a sentir lui -così scrive nell'introduzione- gli ha fatto passare per sempre la voglia di mangiare patatine fritte, decide di scoprirlo.
Nella prima sezione del libro l'autore analizza quattro catene aliment...more
Pollan’s groundbreaking book, adapted by Richie Chevat for young adults, will have students amassing secrets and facts, by delving into where their food comes from, beginning with the supermarket. Pollan encourages students to become food detectives and follow the food chain and share in the pleasure of many kinds of meals. Student awareness concerning food sources will be raised while learning about the actual nutritional value of food. The chapters are interesting and easy to understand wit...more
So I accidentally ordered the "young reader" version of this book... but I think that it was nearly the same as the standard edition.
Certainly reminiscent of "Fast Food Nation" which I read in high school, but a bit more relatable for me.
A great way to see "behind the scenes" of the industrial food industry, and also recognize that even organic food can be pretty industrial these days... But the book left me with more problems than solutions, hi...more
Certainly reminiscent of "Fast Food Nation" which I read in high school, but a bit more relatable for me.
A great way to see "behind the scenes" of the industrial food industry, and also recognize that even organic food can be pretty industrial these days... But the book left me with more problems than solutions, hi...more
In the Afterowrd of this book, Pollan says, "It's always better to know more rather than less, even when that knowledge complicates your life." Reading this book has truly opened my eyes to the world of the industrial food chain. This is definitely saying something, considering I've already watched some documentaries that have exposed the evils of the industrial food chain. Pollan's book was able to give me more knowledge and it will definitely help me make better food decisions in t...more
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Great book for young adults age 12 and up. Pollan takes readers on a journey through four meals that come from four very different food chains. The information on the successful takeover of farming by agribusiness with their (successful) plot to grow corn (and corporate wealth) was worth the read itself. I was also captivated by Pollan's wild boar hunt and the storm of emotions it engendered. Pollan's book could work very well in the middle school classroom; the sidebars, photosgraphs and visual...more
An ELA teacher at my school actually used this book for his last unit. Despite the language being a little dry, students were able to get really into it. I kept hearing pockets of conversation around the building about how fast food is nasty, HONESTLY!! Students also worked on a project examining the food served in our cafeterias.
It was their enthusiasm that got me to read the book. It was a quick read and I learned more about the argument for buying local food. At some points, I got a...more
It was their enthusiasm that got me to read the book. It was a quick read and I learned more about the argument for buying local food. At some points, I got a...more
I originally purchased this book for my children to read, but when no one would touch it (it's non-fiction, after all) I decided to give it a try. This is a Young Readers Edition, yet as the author states in his acknowledgments, the editor "did a masterful job ... streamlining a complex narrative without ever over-simplifying it."
A quicker read that the original book, the content is solid and I really appreciated the additional graphics in this edition. I would recommend th...more
A quicker read that the original book, the content is solid and I really appreciated the additional graphics in this edition. I would recommend th...more
I'm glad I read this book. I almost gave up during the first "meal", as Pollan divides his book into meals instead of chapters. The first was just a depressing (though honest) report of what we eat. But by the end, I felt smarter and able to make better food choices -- and also felt OK that sometimes I don't make the best choices. Just trying to make the good outweigh the bad. Made we want to buy a farm and live like meal 3! I'll settle for raising chickens on my land this summer...more
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| Has Anyone Read Both the Adult and Kids Versions? | 4 | 41 | Apr 02, 2011 06:52pm |
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Michael Pollan is an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, where he is also the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
More about Michael Pollan...
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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