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ygao's picture

to trust or not to trust? it's a dilemma

After reading some of the chapters in The Omnivore's Dilemma, I have two thoughts. First, I must become a farmer one day, plant all my vegetables and fruits, and raise my own animals. Or, second, I must not think at all about my food hereafter. The first thought expresses my trust in Pollan's ideas and the variety of facts he provided to prove his ideas legible. He did not force any ideas into the readers' minds, but gave us space to think, to make our own minds and choices about what to eat and how we think about the food on our plates. The book gave us chances to challenge our own minds and to think for ourselves. One can agree or disagree, there are no specific ideas to be agreed on in this book. Pollan's neutral way of expressing thoughts make me trust him.

I am, however, stressed by his ideas as well. True, as I mentioned before, he did present convincing facts in the book, but I cannot help but to be annoyed by not only the facts he layed out but also the way he appeared to be not concerned but indifferent and biased of the ideas in some of the text. I am used to reading books that have a central idea. I mean, why would the author write a book if his ideas were not biased or different from everyone else's? But the way Pollan wrote this book made me more frustrated at how he does not state his own opinion but to let us, the readers, have a mindful to think about and try to make out our own sets of judgements, not his. And that, puts all of us in a thought dilemma. Then again, I suppose this is a kind of new reading for me. Also, what I find disturbing by this book is that I feel that my knowing these facts does not make my life better easier or better. During the past few days, I kept thinking about where my food came from and how they are raised, and that perturbed my apetite. This discomfort and the dilemma he let us in make me not want to trust him, no matter how convincing he might be. Come on, let me eat and simply enjoy my meals without thinking too much and make myself gag. Call me ignorant if that is what it takes.

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