The Omnivore's Dilemma (Young Readers Edition): The Secrets behind What You Eat (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

by Michael Pollan

Overview

Delves into facts about food, life expectancy as it relates to consumption and global health implications resulting from food choices made by people around the world, encouraging readers to consider their food choices and eating habits.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780606373906
Publisher:	Perfection Learning Corporation
Publication date:	04/04/2019
Edition description:	THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	930L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Michael Pollan is the author, most recently, of the #1 New York Times bestseller In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. He has written four other award-winning books, is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine, and has received numerous honors for his journalism.

Hometown:

San Francisco Bay Area, California

Date of Birth:

February 6, 1955

Place of Birth:

Long Island, New York

Education:

Bennington College, Oxford University, and Columbia University

Website:

http://michaelpollan.com/

Editorial Reviews

As an adult title, Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma became a nationwide bestseller and notched a place on the New York Times list of the five best nonfiction books of 2006. This young readers' edition widens the potential audience of this classic about the personal and global implications of our food choices. In addition to being reshaped for readers ages 9-12, The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids contains new and updated material.

This youth-friendly version of Pollan's bestseller, with updated facts, assorted visuals and a new introduction and afterword, is as enlightening as it is accessible. The adaptation uses the same “four meal” format of the original book, as Pollan describes the impact of humans' heavy corn consumption, explores the organic food industry, takes part in the system of farming practiced at Polyface Farm and hunts mushrooms and wild pigs. Much of the appeal lies in Pollan's hands-on methods and sensitive articulations as he assists readers in navigating the complexities of the production and consumption of food. Conscientious readers will grasp the important lessons. Ages 10–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

[T]his book uses a recipe of science, history, and humor to create an edifying yet entertaining story.

Horn Book

Gr 7 Up—Based on Pollan's best-selling adult book of the same title, this (slightly) shortened version will appeal to thoughtful, socially responsible teens. The book is divided into four sections: "The Industrial Meal" (exemplified by the fact that only two companies, Cargill and ADM, buy nearly a third of all the corn grown in the U.S.); "The Industrial Organic Meal" (covering most of what's found in stores like Whole Foods); "Local Sustainable" (small farms typically based on grass, not corn); and what he calls the "Do-It-Yourself Meal" (where he hunts a wild pig and gathers wild mushrooms). Pollan has done an amazing amount of research, both of the typical kind (there are 16 pages of footnotes) and the more personal kind. His own research includes slaughtering a chicken himself and eating a fast-food meal in a moving car with his family. He explains complicated issues clearly, offers compelling evidence of the environmental damage done by what he calls the industrial meal, and urges readers not to look away from animal-welfare issues: "We can only decide if we know the truth." An afterword, "Vote with Your Fork," recommends simple actions that will improve the health of our bodies, our society, and our planet.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

Not every volume will change a reader's life, but this one just might. The dilemma is this: Human beings are omnivores; we can eat just about anything, but how do we know what's best to eat? Adopting the role of food detective, the author "peers behind the curtain" of the modern food industry and finds that the industrial approach to the food chain imperils our health and planet. The four sections of the volume describe differing types of meals: industrial; industrial organic; local sustainable; and hunted, gathered and found. Clear organization and lively writing rooted in fascinating examples make this accessible and interesting. The source notes and bibliography are thorough. Though some readers may find more about certain topics than they care to know-corn, for example-motivated kids will learn much about where their food comes from and what to do about it, and they may want to seek out the follow-up volume for adults, In Defense of Food (2008). (index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 11 & up)

Kirkus Reviews