Thursday, January 15, 2009

About the books

A friend told me about the Amazon affiliate link-up that you can see on the right.  I chose the books to be viewed.  They are:


Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
Everything I want to do is Illegal, by Joel Salatin
and
Good Calories, Bad Calories, by Gary Taubes
In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan (at the bottom)

Pollan is well known, particularly in the subway reading circuit here in NYC.  It is likely that looking up on any given weekday morning someone will be reading Omnivore's Dilemma, or In Defense of Food.  He is a fine writer, and one who really has a grasp of the food system.  I think the corn and grass sections should be required reading in secondary school health classes!

Joel Salatin is a guru farmer who was introduced to most of us by Michael Pollan.  He runs a farm in western Virginia that specializes in "Salad Bar" Beef and Poultry.  He is the champion of Management intensive grazing, a process by which animals are grazed over larger areas in particular configurations (poultry follows ruminants, etc).  It is a boon to the land, the health of the animals and lastly, our palettes, as the meats are healthier and better tasting.

Gary Taubes has written a tour de force in Good Calories, Bad Calories.  It is a resounding thumping of the prevailing theories of cholesterol and health.  The bottom line?  White sugar and white flour are far more dangerous then Fat and foods high in cholesterol.  But don't tell the AHA that!

Read well.

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