The Omnivore's Dilemma -the Finish

The goal of this book is to provide an answer to the question: “What should we have for dinner?” (Pollan pg 1). It proceeds to answer this question in-depth, starting “all the way back to fields of corn growing in places like Iowa” (Pollan pg. 5).  The author is Michael Pollan, educated at Bennington College, Oxford University, and Columbia University, and has a Master’s in English. In this time where most American’s are experiencing a health craze, this book has opened the eyes of many to the alternatives in eating, and what exactly they are eating.  Pollan mixes the appeals together, using the expertise of Billy and George as corn farmers, and Joel’s opinions as a grass farmer as ethos, taking statistics and then weaving them together into a single cohesive argument that is based in both ethos and logos.  He uses a sort of parallel thinking, comparing two different types of meals -the industrial, and the hand-picked, neither existing without the other.  Their virtues and detriments, arranging them using cause-and-effect arguments, as well as his logical appeals make this text very effective.  His diction is such that any educated person would be able to read it with no problem, and he explains concepts in depth using layman’s terms. Even the chapter titles are arranged artfully, some chapters with little sub-titles that give little hints of information, like “The Feedlot//Making Meat//(54,000 kernels)” (Pollan pg 65).  With each addition, from industrial, Big and Little Organic, Hunting and Gathering, Ethics of Meat Eating, all the way to the Perfect Meal, Pollan leaves it to the reader to discover their own perfect meal, using this book as a means of learning where their food comes from and what is in it.