The Omnivore's DilemmaA Natural History of Four Meals

This book will change your life. Or at least your dinner plans.
People often describe a favorite, classic book by saying, "Everyone should read this. "They are usually talking about Jane Austen. I would make a case for The Omnivore’s Dilemma. This is a book for which I am such an evangelist that my own copy is usually absent from my bookshelf, forced upon one friend or another who made the mistake of saying they had yet to read it. It should be required reading for anyone who ever asks, "What should we have for dinner?" which is the question Michael Pollan sets out to explore in this fascinating, remarkable work.

His method of inquiry is reminiscent of his previous book, The Botany of Desire: he explores 4 archetypal answers to the question, in this case 4 meals. To wit: industrial (fast food), big organic (Whole Foods), small organic (self-sustainable farm), and hunter-gatherer (wild boar, wild mushrooms, sea salt).

And what, in the end, is the answer? What shall we have for dinner? The brilliance of this book is that it shows you why and how to keep asking yourself that question, everyday, every meal. Whether your dinner plans require a kosher butcher, the absence of eggs and milk, or saying grace to the divinity of your choice, you answer the question yourself.