When Jon Stewart said reading Michael Pollan's Food Rules would take less than an hour, he wasn't lying. Even if you don't read it in one sitting, though, it won't take long to get through. Pollan boils his book down to seven words "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants," and he has written 64 rules relating to this idea. Because Food Rules is broken into these rules, with no more than a few paragraphs describing each one, you can pick up the book for just a few minutes and get something from it. I actually read most of Food Rules in pieces during the lulls at work while my computer was thinking.
And I loved Food Rules for more than its brevity. Pollan writes well, but in an almost casual tone that everyday readers can latch onto. And the book is interesting! (Something I wish I could say about John Yoo's Crisis in Command, the book I took a break from to read Food Rules). The rules are straightforward, not preachy or laden with guilt. Do I think I'll follow them all? Certainly not. I can't afford to buy only natural/local foods, and even though I know it's bad for me, I love my sugar. But will I think about them and follow some of them? You bet. I'm going to start reading ingredient lists and try to buy products that follow rule #7 "Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce."
All-in-all, I would recommend Food Rules to anybody. I'm actually going to give it a 5/5 because I don't have any complaints. Way to go, Mr. Pollan.
In other news, this should be a good week for Daily Shill posts. Crazy Heart (the movie Maggie Gyllenhaal came on the show to promote) has finally come to Kalamazoo; I'm going to see it tomorrow night. And, as I said earlier, I am currently reading Crisis in Command, which I sure hope I'll finish soon.
