The Food Police: A Well-Fed Manifesto About the Politics of Your Plate

I was hoping to get a new perspective as a reader from Food Police. I always feel it is important to hear the other side of the story and see where we can meet in the middle.Even as someone who knows the shortcomings of organic production, supports tech and GE technology in agricultural, agrees on the false beliefs about farm subsidies and agrees there are a lot of positives about our modern agricultural system; The Food Police was a very, very hard book to read. I think it was sad that Jayson Lusk had to use such poor word choices that were obviously meant to play towards a specific political view point.He went astray by not letting the facts and citations stand for themselves, but making it a political issue with throwing a bunch of conservative v.s. liberal buzzwords. This extra noise took away from some impressive stats, which might of persuaded a reader who did not believe such views.I would also challenge Jayson Lusk on his view on nutrition and food choices. Jayson is an expert economist. There are also experts on nutrition who should be leading the conversation. I doubt Jayson would call anyone who uses money an economist, the same holds true with nutrition. Just because you eat, does not make you an expert on nutrition. With 50 precent of the population going on to develop type 2 diabetes, nutrition is an issue of society. I agree that we need to be careful with policy and have a strong backing before we just write new legislation. However, Jayson Lusk does not highlight the issues of food supply in regards to nutrition enough in this book.Overall, I believe Parke Wilde highlighted the errors of the Food Police perfectly (I posted his link below). Just like with anything in life, using politically charged words is not likely to persuade anyones view point.I would save your money and purchase other books such as Food Policy in The United States, In Meat We Trust, The Locavore's Dilemma and Tomorrow's Table instead.http://usfoodpolicy.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-food-police-by-jayson-lusk.html

This book is difficult to review. On the one hand, Lusk makes a number of good, intelligent points and, relying on facts and cogent arguments, effectively demolishes--or at least undermines--much of the "accepted wisdom" of those promoting, or being tempted by, various food fads. I believe the information he provides is useful and should be more widely disseminated.On the other hand, Lusk cannot seem to stop himself from descending into far-right-wing drivel, and seems to have nothing but contempt for liberals, democrats, Obama, environmentalists, people concerned with health, Keynesians--while apparently admiring Hayek (whose economics even Friedman found fanciful), Ayn Rand. In more than one place, he relies on misrepresentation to advance his right-wing screed.Lusk claims he is writing for, and to, those who may be tempted by the "food police ideology." One suspects he is really writing for adherents of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Fox News--his far-right rants probably guarantee that his message will not be read, let alone expected.This is unfortunate because he does make excellent points which should be widely considered.Fox News claims that it reports, and the viewer decides. Of course, Fox does not adhere to that motto. Unfortunately, neither does Lusk.In my opinion, his argument would have been far stronger had he not filled so many pages with right-wing propaganda.I recommend In Meat We Trust which, through historical research and reporting, demonstrates many of the "tough choices" that Lusk talks about.In sum, I have seldom read a book in which I have found so much with which I agree (and containing so much I think is important and valuable) that, simultaneously, caused so much irritation and anger and contained so much that I thought was, at best, worthless.

Great review of the current food priesthood and their efforts to bring their congregation under government control. Suggesting others eat better would be fine but mandating by government control is the problem. I love "organic" products as they are a tax on the liberal myth making machine. The problem seems to be that buying organic is still voluntary which is anathema to current dominant political mindset.

As the owner of a health club, I personally believe in healthy eating and my wife and I eat mostly organic fish and vegetables - no meat. However, this is a personal choice and I am adamantly oposed to the government telling people what they can and can't eat. I was very interested in reading "the other side of the story" covered by this book. No matter what you think you know about food and our agricultural system, you will likely be surprised to find that your understanding was wrong. Highly recommend this to anyone who wants a better understanding of food and our agricultural system

Prof Lusk dreams up a conspiracy -- one that is sympathetic to, if not directly linked to communism -- to radically alter the food system and force us all to eat organic, unprocessed, 'natural' foods. At the same time, he heaps undeserved praise on the current food system which (in Panglossian fashion) produces the best, cheapest, most wholesome food that can be had. Moreover, he tells us that food scientists are cooking up even cheaper, tastier, more wholesome delicacies that will some day feed the world. Most disturbing is the fact that, hiding behind the dubious claim of value freedom, Prof. Lusk seems blissfully unaware that he is far more ideologically driven than the folks he critiques. All this said, I must admit that Prof. Lusk writes well -- perhaps well enough to convince the naive of the validity of his claims.

I found this book a refreshing breath of sanity in the modern wilderness of unthinking acceptance of silly movements such as local food, slow food, organic food.When one voices such views at cocktail parties, one is excoriated for one's backward thinking: doesn't everyone agree that big corporate farms are evil, that we should be only eating local food in season, that it's much better to buy your meat from the local unsanitary abbatoir than the giant meat factories, and that one should drive one's SUV from market to market than have the food all delivered at once on a truck?Thank you Mr. Lusk for this book!

One of the best books I've ever read!

Excellent condition. Excellent book, informative.