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In Defense of Food
- An Eater's Manifesto
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
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In Defense of Food
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Summary
#1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of This is Your Mind on Plants, 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Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion—most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science.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.
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Editor reviews
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These are the first words of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Scott Brick narrates these opening sentences with slowly paced emphasis and a nicely modulated deftness, with a hint of coyness. The coyness is Pollan's. For what else can one eat but food? And why does eating need a manifesto? Pollan answers that we increasing do not eat food (whole food) but rather consume processed "food products". We are in "The Age of Nutritionism". Pollan's In Defense of Food is a richly developed polemic against the unhealthful food culture that the ideology of nurtitionism represents. The book is as well a de facto manual for growing and eating our way out of it.
Brick is a compelling spokesman for Pollan's argument. He brings to In Defense of Food a voice in the baritone-to-tenor range, with an always on-the-mark sonic focus matched with a point of expressive emphasis that constantly shifts, as Brick makes his flawless and fluent runs up and down and within his octave ranges. Brick's doing all of this can only be achieved by natural talent, disciplined training, and smart reading - joined by a mastery of a quite large array of narrative and expressive skills.
It is very likely that somewhere in some academic haven there are specific concepts and a precise language that could quantify and describe what goes on with Brick's narrative voice. In the end, though, it all comes down to art. Using, with apologies, an extended metaphor, that of jazz: Brick picks up his axe (saxophone), fingering the notes and changing the octaves with the keys; with his fine set of chops (lips) applies the pressure onto the sax's mouth piece and reed, and, modulating the breath and applying nuances of feeling and expression, blows - that is, in jazz-speak - plays. The well-argued and passionate polemic that is In Defense of Food is, in this audio production, a show piece showcasing Scott Brick's narrative range and dexterity. (David Chasey)
Critic reviews
"Michael Pollan [is the] designated repository for the nation's food conscience."—Frank Bruni, The New York Times
"In this slim, remarkable volume, Pollan builds a convincing case not only against that steak dinner but against the entire Western diet."—The Washington Post
"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, The New York Times
What listeners say about In Defense of Food
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- bilal
- 03-10-19
Eat real food, mostly plants , not too much
A good read.
But I enjoyed omnivore s dilemma more than this one.
But overall I do recommend if someone is suffering from western diet.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gabrielle Harvey-Jones
- 22-06-23
Well worth a credit!
Sensible, non faddy approach to the modern diet. I could have done with a different reader but I found the content was in step with Tim Spector and Chris Van Tulleken. Well worth six hours of my time!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
- Kevin Thomson
- 22-10-19
Great but awful theatrical narration!!
Loved the book but the narration is just terrible to the point it really spoils the book...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James Nicholson
- 08-01-20
Good book, think for yourselves sheeple
This book is getting on in years, and I think his correct predictions of the nutrition recommendations in the 2010s is an attestation to the quality of the material here.
I read many reviews on Goodreads that were particularly critical, things that went along the lines of literalism to say that the idea was not worth hearing.
He has a lot of good ideas, they are worth listening too in an open manner. The bulk of the book is geared towards advising you to think for yourself and listen to your and your grandparents' senses. I would expect the reader to apply the same logic to what you hear here.
Also, the voice actor is the same that does Bean in the Ender's Shadow series which was amusingly disorientating!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- JohnJenner
- 15-11-22
loved it
not so keen on the reader, but the content was fab, I highly recommend it
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Reader366
- 26-03-24
The reader is ridiculous
The book is interesting but listen to the sample to see if you can tolerate the voice!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alan Bowman
- 04-09-24
Good but narration is not great
This is an interesting and important book that you should read - it exposes a lot of important things about food and nutrition that are worth having an awareness off. The narration is not great however. The narrator sounds a little contrived and teacher-like, making the experience of this audiobook feel more like a lecture than anything else. I prefer Michael Pollan’s books when he narrates them himself.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 15-11-20
Enlightening
Very well written punchy comments that keep you engaged with the discussion of food. The book has been well written with manageable chunks. Right from the start there is no surprise what the book is about.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- CT
- 26-09-21
Simple brilliance and revolutionary
The veil is lifted in the constant media and food industry misdirection. Self empowering and the return of sovereignty.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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- Mr. M. Cunha
- 02-02-23
Makes you look at the supermarket differently
Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in food, health or just living well.
Wasn’t personally a fan of the reading style… Michael Pollan should narrate this again himself, he did a perfect job on how to change your mind.
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