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Category Archives: book review

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual

I recently “read” Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan.  “Read” is in quotes because I ended up borrowing the illustrated version of the book from my local library (btw, libraries are a wonderful resource and you should definitely utilize them while you have the chance).  I hadn’t realized there was an illustrated version.  So, the whole book ended up reading a lot like a child’s picture book.  Not that I mind.  But I was expecting something more like one of his other books, like In Defense of Food or An Omnivore’s Dilemma, you know…actual books that you have to read.

Anyway, I picked up Michael Pollan’s Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, illustrated edition, and it was rather interesting.  I didn’t particularly need a rulebook on how I’m supposed to eat.  I picked the book up because I like his writing and his take on food.  Have you realized that a lot of the things that we consider food today aren’t really?  They’re so processed that they’re more like the nutritional pellets of science fiction novels.  Also, I was curious what kind of rules he could possibly put down on how to eat.  What I found was basically, you should “[e]at food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.”  The “rules” that he has in the book aren’t really rules in a traditional sense.  They’re more like guidelines to help you rethink what food is and what your relationship is to it.

One rule that made me rethink my relationship with food was “stop eating before you’re full.”  That one is interesting.  But it seems to be true for a lot of cultures around the world.  They don’t eat until they’re stuffed and their belly feels like it’s going to explode.  They eat until they are no longer hungry, which is not the same as eating until they’re full.  I’m not sure how I’m supposed to apply this when I’m babysitting (zombie sitting?) the zombie stomach.

Here’s another rule, just because.  “Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism.”  Maybe you should treat them like how you would suspicious hot dogs.

Anyway, pick it up and give it a read.  If nothing else, it’s short (because it’s like a picture book).

The Eyre Affair

I recently read a novel.  It’s the first new one I’ve read in a long time.  And…I liked a lot.  A LOT (but not alot).

Anyway, the book is The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.  It takes place in alternate reality England, but not Fake England, in the mid 80s, and follows the adventures of Thursday Next, a literary detective.  You may wonder what  kind of job a literary detective would have.  For the most part, it seems like a pretty mundane job.  You defend the great literary works from conspiracy theorists.  You crack down on people trying to sell counterfeit poetry and verse.  And now and then, you are called upon to solve a crime in which literary characters are being pulled out from their original manuscripts and being murdered in reality thus changing literature forever.

Ok, so it’s the first time this has actually happened.  And it can only occur because Thursday’s mad scientist uncle invented a portal into the literary world.  Then, said portal was stolen by the Big Bad.  There is some muddying of the waters by Benevolent(?) Corporation.  During all of this, the ending for Jane Eyre ends up changing.

All in all, this was a very entertaining read.  It’s humorous and includes a very refined ridiculous.  I highly recommend it.

(I also found out that Thursday Next is in a few other adventures.  I will be reading those as well.)