Virtual Book Club

I’ve just started chapter 5 and so far I can say that I do find this book interesting, and I do see it changing my shopping/eating habits, but I don’t find it a riveting can’t-put-it-down read and it’s taking me a long time to get through it because of life and work commitments.

That said, I am trying to back off of the meat-every-night mentality and provide alternative sources of protein because I am going to start TRYING to purchase more local, organic and free-range products vs. the mass produced and mass farmed stuff that is so full of hormones and antibiotics (meat that is) because, yuck, that is so gross.

One thing in the book that sticks with me is how the cattle industry and the agricultural system of the U.S. have turned grass grazing cows into corn fed protein making machines.  It is so unnatural, so against the grain, that I am willing to spend the extra cash for free-range grass-fed beef and just have less of it.  In fact, a girlfriend of mine wants me to split a cow with her from a local rancher.  We’re contemplating a side of beef split between three families.  Ranch produced, no hormones or antibiotics, grass-grazing cows from a real local farm/ranch.  What a concept!

I’m a little bit afraid of the processed food portion of the book because, frankly, I enjoy a great variety of processed foods and don’t know that I am ready to be “scared straight” just yet.  Same goes for diet coke.  I have been teetering on the verge of giving up my 2-cans-per-day diet coke habit because, frankly, diet coke has a closer relationship with a test tube than with anything produced by or in nature, and I’d like to lead a different kind of lifestyle, one that doesn’t include getting my cool and refreshing beverages from a beaker.  I’m not there yet, but it’s on my mind.

I need to finish this book this week because “Breaking Dawn” is out Friday at midnight and I will be reading it this weekend.  At the depths of my inner-self and the bottom of my very soul, I think I am truly still a 14-year-old girl, because I am totally hooked on the “Twilight Saga” and more eager for this fourth book than DD15 is (and she is eager, let me tell you.)

I am interested to hear what others think of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.”  Are you being more affected by it than I am, ready to make drastic lifestyle changes?

I am in Chapter 4 now, “The Feed Lot: The Making of Meat,” and beyond the ick factor of our food production system, I am feeling sad for the demise of the family farm.  I have fantasized that as an idyllic lifestyle full of hard, hard work but great reward… that whole working your own land American dream.

Quick observation before work: our Agricultural System in the US is effed-up.  I think I have a grasp now on how farm subsidy works and, frankly, it’s retarded.  The “whole grow more corn when there’s already too much corn because it’s the only way to make more money” concept absolutely reeks of American backroom politics.  Yuck.  I don’t like the idea that my food is influenced by smarmy politicians to the degree that it apparently is.

Will be reading a lot over this weekend, looking forward to hearing what you have to say about the book.  And maybe we should start tossing around ideas for the next book to give people way advance notice to pick it up.  Eryn suggested “Fast Food Nation,” but if she has already read it, maybe we should find something that none of us have read yet?  Although I do want to read FFN because I heard it’s a real eye-opener.

I’m still reading.  I’ve progressed from straight corn to corn-fed cattle.  It’s truly fascinating and kind of scary.  I plan on composing a deep and profound post about it this weekend, which will spark life altering discussion (jk, as if you didn’t know that already!).

In the meantime, here I am, multitasking.  Do you like the way I am able to multitask on two non-income earning projects yet can’t seem to get motivated to sit down and do my work?

I think I figured out how to add people as contributors to this site, so if you are reading the book and want to have the ability to post and start a thread as opposed to just make comments, let me know!

I haven’t had as much reading time as I would like, but I can say that I am ready for this book to be about more than corn!  As you can tell, I’m still in the beginning, and I’m still reading about corn. 

I’m ALMOST caught up on work after a few days off for my lasik.  I plan on getting in a LOT of reading this weekend as I am going camping with dd9’s girl scout troop and the troop leader has the girls slated for a bazillion activities that, here’s the best part, don’t include me!

If you’ve started reading and have something to share, please don’t let my slowpokiness hold you up : )  Comment away!

So far I have had three tentatively interesteds, so come on, let’s do it! 

I got the book and read the introduction and a bit of the first chapter.  I think this book might actually get me off of the processed food band wagon in the way that seeing “Supersize Me” turned me off of McDonalds (at least for a while, ha!)

I’m ready to start whenever anyone else is, so just post a comment or send an email and we can get the ball rolling.  Unless someone wants to propose an “official” start date, then I say let’s just do what we can.  My spare reading time is pretty much limited to in bed at night, so that’s when I’ll be reading.

I’ll say from what I’ve read so far…. I know that I do not want to be “made of corn.”  That’s gross.  Read the beginning and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Our first book is THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA by Michael Pollan.  I picked it up today, plan to start reading this weekend and start commenting on it next week.  If you’ve already read it, you can get the ball rolling in the comments!  If not, grab a copy and join the club.