Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
Leigh avatar reviewed on + 378 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


I devoured this book; it is amazing. It's full of all the "common sense" stuff you already know, deep down in your mind, yet don't really think about. It's terrifying and appalling and fascinating to read at the same time. At one point, I started to get panicky about what I could do IMMEDIATELY. Predictably, I feel duped and manipulated by the food industry. I've wanted to grow my own food for a while, but reading this solidified that idea in my head.

Pollan touches on many important issues and introduces ideas I hadn't thought about, including pesticides, food ingredients, and HOW we eat. I loved the discussion of the French Paradox near the end and find myself incorporating a lot of French eating customs into my own meals.

I've always eaten "healthy," with few processed foods, but this made me question the nutrition of the whole foods I purchase. It made me see "nutritionism" in an entirely new light, too. If you love food or even if you have a shaky relationship with it, read this. At the very least, you'll be enlightened on the subject of nutrition. You will naturally change your behavior with this knowledge in your head.