StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

A Natural History of Four Meals - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "A Natural History of Four Meals" suggests that Michael Pollan titled “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” is one of the masterpieces of modern literature. The major idea of the work is a detailed investigation of the selection of the meals people are eating daily…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.3% of users find it useful
A Natural History of Four Meals
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "A Natural History of Four Meals"

Food chains are being analyzed in detail. The analysis takes its beginning with the way food is grown and processed in food industries. The writer traces every meal from its actual conception up to its final stage and consumption by a customer. The aim of this paper is to analyze the first part of the book, “Industrial Corn”. It consists of seven chapters, the main aim of which is to present the writer’s considerations in the process of food chain exploration. The variety of meals Americans consume is really immense, because the nation is a melting pot itself with every nation having added something of their national cuisine. A big part of the discussion of this part of the book is devoted to industrial food which is related to corn products. The work exposes the nature and the means corn is devoured by American people directly through their daily food or indirectly through feeding domestic animals. Furthermore, it is known that corn is used in chemical production. Thus, the production of glucose and fructose-based syrup is made out of corn. “Industrial Corn” is a detailed discussion of the way such plant as corn has gradually gained dominance in the food industry of America. A number of factors such as economical, biological, political and cultural have played a role in corn gaining its position in the diet of the nation. The control corn has over the diet of Americans is significantly powerful.

To have a thorough and original research Pollan starts by investigating one corn farm located in Iowa and owned by George Naylor. Human beings have been investing in this plant cultivation for quite a long time. Pollan gives a fair share of criticism to the agricultural industrial model of Americans. On the one hand, some of the scientific inventions make agriculture processes much easier while growing of plants much more fruitful. On the other hand, however, modern scientific advances in agriculture affect the natural processes of growing corn. The environmental and health implications of the modern methodology of corn production are very significant.

Furthermore, the investigation and discussion are focused on the way the livestock are fed and the ambiguities of feeding animals with corn, while the consumption of grass is best for their metabolic system. Therefore, Pollan mentions a number of ambiguities and inconsistencies in the national production and consumption of food based on corn. The author also discusses the way animals are cured of fatal diseases and the types of antibiotics they consume. Thus, the food most people consume on daily bases is rather artificially modified with a number of adverse effects both to human health and life as well as the environment.

The common expectations from the book were that it would present an informative discussion of the types of food as well as some details of food production. the reader is positively surprised by the thorough research and investigation the author has done prior to writing the book. Besides, the reader is constantly kept intrigued which holds the attention of the reader. The usage of humour makes the perception of serious and sometimes frightening facts milder and more philosophical.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2”, n.d.)
Book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1591046-book-review
(Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 2)
Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 2. https://studentshare.org/literature/1591046-book-review.
“Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 2”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1591046-book-review.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF A Natural History of Four Meals

Book Review of the Omnivore's Dilemma

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - Book Report Introduction There are myriad discrepancies and confusions in the minds of the people regarding the diet and food supplements.... The book, “The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” by Michael Pollan is a very enlightening and notifying document published in 2006.... The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - Book Report Introduction There are myriad discrepancies and confusions in the minds of thepeople regarding the diet and food supplements....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Omnivore's Dilemma: a Natural History of Four Meals

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals The Omnivore's Dilemma studies the relationship that human beings have with food.... 2 November 2011.... This book elaborates the potential challenges and issues that the contemporary American food industry is exposed to....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

The First Draft of the Research Paper, Omnivore's Dilemma (Industrial Corn) Introduction The book, “The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” is an enlightening literary piece by Michael Pollan.... The Omnivore's dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.... The book appeared before its readers in the year 2006 and the book captivates a huge volley of inquisitions on the selection of the meals owing to the unselective nature of omnivores who tend to have almost anything and everything for their breakfasts, lunches and dinners....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Omnivores Dilemma - A Natural History of Four Meals is a Nonfiction Book by Michael Pollan

The paper "Omnivore's Dilemma - A Natural History of Four Meals is a Nonfiction Book by Michael Pollan" states that the book illustrates the American way of living from the source to the final meal that is eaten.... There are many shortcomings of the book worth noting, such as in the Pollan's self-financed meals.... From an economic viewpoint, there are many shortcomings of the book worth noting, such as in the Pollan's self financed meals; he only focuses on what is before his eyes and ignores the macroeconomic factors that influence the transparency of the cost of foods, which is not attainable within the interconnectedness of the markets....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Position paper regarding The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of four meals. Part 1 Industrial Corn

One of the fundamental themes of the book The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan is that the conventional wisdom about societal issues and challenges is often incorrect.... orn is a fundamental source of American diet, and this is known to every American with Position Paper One of the fundamental themes of the book The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan is that the conventional wisdom about societal issues and challenges is often incorrect....
2 Pages (500 words) Term Paper

Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

An essay "Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" claims that dilemmas are arising in the human's minds regarding how food items are produced, whether naturally or artificially, whether unethical practices are followed, in a total dilemma of what food to eat.... 'To this end, he embarks on four separate eating adventures, each of which starts at the very beginning — in the soil from which the raw materials of his dinners will emerge — and ends with a cooked, finished meal....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The paper "The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan" states that 'The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals' is an engaging study on the wide range of foods consumed by humans or omnivores.... his essay intends to explore the subject matter of the book 'The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals' in the second section bearing the title 'Pastoral Grass' which mainly deals with organic farming.... The chapters eight to fourteen of the book include 'All Fresh Is Grass,' 'Big Organic,' 'Grass: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pasture,' 'Animals: Practicing Complexity,' 'Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir,' 'The Market: ' Greetings from the Non-Barcode People'' and 'The meals: Grass-Fed' (Pollan)....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

English Eating Disorder

The assignment "English Eating Disorder" states that in the book of Michael Pollan The Omnivore's dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals he opened his narration with what is to be had for dinner.... In effect, both Pollan's book The Omnivore's dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals illustrated that the source of our food is becoming a factory and is no longer grown the way it used to be....
1 Pages (250 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us