Books

Michael Pollan Collection

T his time of year most of my free time is devoted to tending the family gardens. The veg- etable garden covers roughly a half acre while a 12 foot wide by 300 feet long band of asparagus defines the edge of our yard. Raspber- ries hide the ugly retaining wall be- hind the house and six "trial" blueberry bushes will yield fruit for snacking soon. It seems my fingernails are never completely free of dirt during the summer months but growing a portion of the food we eat is important to my family. Growing and preserving food is part of our rural culture and family values. It also tastes better and is better for you.

Journalist and author Michael Pollan has spent 25 years writing about the intersection of food and culture. He is a passionate and articulate food activist. Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in world in 2010. What I love about Pollan is that he doesn't know how to write a dull or dry sentence. I believe that everyone who eats should read at least one of his books.

I ' m currently re- reading his very f irst book Second Nature - A Gar- dener's Education for the sheer enjoyment of it. Pollan describes his first forays into gardening on his property in Connecticut. He begins by clarifying that he has two very different gardens - the one of his imagination and dreams and the reality gar- den where he does battle with woodchucks, weeds and an army of insects intent on wrack and ruin.

He describes the process of rethinking his relationship to nature in witty and intelligent language. It's not often that I would use those two adjectives to describe the same book. The Ameri- can Horticultural Society deemed Second Nature one of the 75 greatest books about gardening ever pub- lished. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's certainly worth reading.

The Omnivore's Dilem- ma - the Natural History of Four Meals is probably Pollan's best known book. It was published in 2006 and all his subsequent books build on conversation he started there. Pollan begins by acknowledging that "What's for dinner?" is no longer a simple question. We are bombarded, over- whelmed and bewildered by a plethora of eating choices.

He traces four meals back to their "origins" and in the process uncovers all kinds of interesting and thoughtprovoking information about our natural and not-so-natural food chain. A lunch from McDonald's prompts an in depth investigation into the corn industry. A dinner prepared from ingredients purchased at Whole Foods leads to an examination of the organic food industry. He forages for mushrooms and shoots a feral pig as part of a wild food dinner and acquires ingredients of his fourth meal from a small farm in Virgina.

This isn't a dry tome intent on mak- ing the reader feel guilty about eating a Big Mac, al- though you might. Instead, Pollan seasons his research findings and personal experience with humor and wit. The result is a very readable, informative and at times, entertaining book that will hopefully change the way you look at food forever.

After reading Omnivore's Dilemma, try In Defense of Food - An Eater's Manifesto and Food Rules - An Eater's Manual. Both books expand on Pollan's message that what we eat is important and eating "right" doesn't have to be complicated.

The Heist

I haven't read Pollan's most recently published book, Cooked, but it's on my list after I finish reading Janet E v a- n o v- ich's n ew book T he Heist, c o- written with L ee Goldberg. Kate O'Hare is a cracker-jack FBI agent who is forced to work with her nemesis, Nick Fox, an uber- talented and handsome (of course) con-artist, in order to bring to justice even bigger criminals. I'm a big fan of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series so I was both excited and little leery about what to expect from a new series. Honestly, I didn't care for the first 100 pages. Evanov- ich seemed to be trying too hard to mimic the rhythm of the Plum series, but then the story line settled in and I accepted the characters for who they are. It's a fun summertime read - perfect for those afternoons when it's too hot to work in the garden!