Food Inc

“The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000.”

I thought this book would be all about the big bad food lobby. How a few companies are running everything. And while that is true (and scary) this book really surprised me with its diverseness.

The best part of this book was that it had real practical solutions to problems. At the end of most chapters it had a little section called "what can you do?" and it had bulleted suggestions if you wanted to get more involved or change your actions.

I also like that they didn't push being vegetarian or vegan. They instead said that you should look for local, fresh produce and meats. You should meet the farmers who raise the food and ask them a few questions. They even give you the questions to ask!

Also, I enjoyed that the authors advocated cooking. He made a GREAT point about how we spend millions of dollars renovating kitchens and then eat 25% of our meals in our car! I mean, I personally know SEVERAL people with huge renovated kitchens that have no idea how to dice a tomato. The author says, "people these days don't know that chickens actually have bones! You need to do your own cooking,"

Finally, I like how varied the themes were. They talked about farming in California, pesticides, ethanol fuels for cars, World hunger, planting gardens, etc. It was a very diverse range of topics and with a different author writing about different ideas, the book didn't really get stale. And it didn't feel like they were slamming their ideas down your throat.

This book made me want to plant a garden, visit my farmer's market here in Provo and start canning my own veggies. I mean, I know how to do those things, so I need to start doing them so I can teach it and pass it on to the next generation.

Really a good book, not gruesome (with details of how animals are killed) nor pushy in it's rhetoric. Just your basic information.