Previewing Pollan

Posted on April 26, 2013 by admin

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Michael Pollan at a Sydney Writers Festival

This could well be a Pollan fan site, but it’s one were the fandom goes back to the writing in his first book Second Nature: A Gardeners Education in 1991, which gives some credibility to our Pollan zealotry I hope. If you’re not sure yet that Michael Pollan‘s new book COOKED is for you, have a look at this video. I think it explains the concepts that underlie the book, (and in the process will help you work out if you’re already so far along the Regional Food path that you might not be the target audience). What ever you decide, Pollan’s always sharp and open personal writing carries you along with his arguments. He’s still writing about nature, and I feel he’s focussed more on the people who needed his Food Rules book because they didn’t know what they were supposed to DO after reading Omnivores Dilemma. The rest of you are probably getting on with it.

In the video Alice Waters, Mario Batali and writer /cook Samin Nosrat pretty much nail how important his ideas are that we have been civilised by cooking, and if you cook yourself, you overturn big food as a controlling industry and go a long way to controlling your own health and our food future.

This attractive video comes from @radical.media, and their THNKR YouTube channel has lots of stories like it. They break them into four series – all involving and stimulating – as they explain…

BOOKD explores game-changing books through the insights and opinions of engaging personalities.
EPIPHANY invites impassioned thought leaders across all disciplines to reveal the innovative, the improbable, and the unexpected of their worlds.
PODIUM embraces the art of oration and conversation, honoring those with something to say. The series explores various genres of speechmaking and rhetoric, and provides inspiring, insightful analysis including “how-to” content.
PRODIGIES showcases the youngest and brightest as they challenge themselves to reach new heights and the stories behind them.

Pollan of course fits into the BOOKD section, but could find his way into any of the others.   Fred