A new look for an old favorite

FOOD RULES an eater's manual
by Michael Pollan, illustrations by Maira Kalman.

My rating:  4 of 5 stars

For those interested in reading about the politics and science of food and nutrition, Michael Pollan will probably be a familiar name. Pollan has published several books on the subject, including Food Rules, a short collection of dictates designed to help the average person eat better. The theme of Pollan's books generally is that there is not any one evil nutrient responsible for the rise in obesity in America, but rather it is the Western diet as a whole that is the problem.  One need only to look at the diet books of the last twenty years to see what he is getting at: each new diet promises results in weight reduction, an increase in energy, or a boon in health-related vital statistics if only X were removed or added to the diet. X can be carbs, fats, proteins, sugar, white flour, take your pick. But people are still getting heavier, and still suffering from health-related issues. Pollan's advice is very practical. Eat real food, in moderate portions, essentially the anti-thesis of the processed food, super-sized Western diet. He believes that our cultural traditions are a better resource for nutritional advice than pronouncements issued by government agencies.

 After the original Food Rules was released in 2009, it sparked a debate about the state of diet in America, which was exactly what Pollan had hoped for. Through blogs at the New York Times and Slow Food USA, among others, the American people offered up their own advice for ways to improve one's eating habits. Concomitantly, Pollan happened to visit an exhibit of renowned artist Maira Kalman's, whose work is peppered with images of food, and the idea to re-issue an updated, illustrated version of Food Rules was born.

This new version of Food Rules consists of 83 rules divided into three sections designed to help the reader implement his famous tagline: Eat food, mostly plants, not too much. There are 19 new rules in this book, the outgrowth of the national conversation he sparked with the original publication, as well as a new foreword by Pollan. But frankly what makes this version special and a must purchase for even those who have the original book, is the illustrations. Kalman's work makes the whole subject so accessible and fun! Her whimsical approach is a joy to behold -- from the large drawing of a cheez-doodle that accompanies her introduction, to the illustration of the cereal box on the back cover that animates Rule # 39 not to eat cereal that changes the color of the milk.

This is one instance in which "new" really is better. I liked Food Rules when I read it the first time, but I love this new version. There is something about Kalman's drawings that is infectious -- you smile while you read. Always a good thing.

I received a copy of the new Food Rules from the publisher, Penguin Press, through TLC Book Tours. The illustrated version of Food Rules was released in November 2011.

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