So you’ve read Michael Pollan, probably Mark Bittman, but what other books should you be reading about the food industry? Turns out, someone’s compiled a list.
Created by comment/suggestions, I’m not sure I’d agree with everything on there (I’m not sure Why French Women Don’t Get Fat needs to be there, for instance), but there’s also plenty of obscure stuff that is informative and well-written but not necessarily well-known, such as the various books by Dr. Vandana Shiva (who everybody should read, just because she’s brilliant).
Also, a fair bit of it is out of date (Diet For a Small Planet, while still relevant, was written in the early 70s – it is the book that introduced and espoused the well-known (and now debunked) theory that vegetarians need to combine proteins at every meal to create a complete protein. Likewise, Diet For a New America was written in the mid-90s – in an industry where changes have been fast-paced in the past few years (I know, it doesn’t seem like it, but they are), I have no doubt that a fair amount of the information is not current.
Nevertheless, it is a fantastic list from which to get started and learn more about the industry, as long as readers keep in mind dates and context.