We Are Made Of Corn

When a book shows up in my life multiple times, I know it’s time for me to read it. So it was with The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

It started with a friend’s recommendations through several conversations about a year ago or so. I chalked it up to my mental must-read list and did not think anymore of it. A few weeks ago, the title popped into my mind out of the blue. Then I started noticing people reading it in outdoor sitting cafe areas while passing by. As this happened more than once I thought, ok, I get it, it’s time to go find this one.

Fortunately, my local library had a copy…

I have to say it’s amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I’m collecting several quotes as I go through it. I can’t help it, it’s too good and too incredible not to pass on.

Corn has literally taken over our agricultural industry, the farm business, and food production. If you think just because you eat little corn on the cob or corn tortillas you don’t consume an allarming amount of the stuff, think again. Our bodies are literally being constructed from corn building blocks. It’s in everything:

Corn is what feeds the steer that becomes the steak. Corn feeds the chicken and the pig, the turkey and the lamb, the catfish and the tilapia and, increasingly, even the salmon, a carnivore by nature that the fish farmers are reengineering to tolerate corn. The eggs are made of corn. The milk and cheese and yogurt, which once came from dairy cows that grazed on grass, now typically come from Holsteins that spend their working lives indoors tethered to machines, eating corn.

A little scary, to say the least.

more to come…

The Naked Ape

Reading The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris.

I’m just starting out on this book.

Desmond Morris takes on an interesting point of view in his introduction. He states that anthropologist have it all wrong in studying group still living in “technologically simple tribal groupd” as an example of human behavior. He proposes that these groups are in fact “stultified” -they have failed to advanced and have gone wrong somewhere along the way, while the majority of humanity has explored and grown beyond this state.

Though he does not discount that this information has been useful, he proposes that it is now time to look into the “typical behavior of the typical naked ape,” i.e. the mainstream specimen who represent the majority: successful members of the main cultures.

So far so good. I look forward to more.

Vampire series

I’ve been reading Stephanie Meyer’s vampire series for fun of late.

I say for fun though this is not something I would have normally picked up. I’m not too much on the whole horror genre, which was my impression of this series, and generally prefer non-finction reading anyway.

To make a long story short, a friend was cleaning up her book shelves and left me the first 2 of the series, Twilight and New Moon, which just stayed on my shelves for a little while.

Then I saw the Twilight movie.

Wow, nothing like I expected. I really did like it. So now off course I am reading the books too. Twilight and New Moon were read in a matter of 2 weeks. I now have to be patient and wait for the third, Eclipse -remember I only have the first 2, and all 13 copies at the local library are already checked out! I’m on the waiting list (sigh).

Oh well, it’ll be all the more sweet when I do get it.

Book Review: Almost French

I wrote a review of Almost French, written by Sarah Turnbull, an Australian expat living in Paris, France.

It’s a fun easy to read book with lots of very humorous moments. Part travel book, part personal journey into another culture, this will delight any francophile… and anyone else too, for that matter.

Here is an exerpt, then click on the link for the rest of the review:

It is, however, well written and delightful to read, and a great study of French etiquette with the love of beauty and elegance above all else. One particular moment comes to mind when Sarah quickly throws on sweat pants to run off to the bakery for fresh bread. Frederic is horrified: “Are you going out like that, wearing your gymnastic pantaloons?” “Yeah, I’m just going to the bakery” Sarah replies, to which comes Frederic’s indignation, “But that’s not nice for the baker!”

Enjoy. Please be sure to rate the review via the star system at the end. Thanks a million.

Almost French full review

Lens Updates

I’ve lost count as to the last time I updated my progress on squidoo lenses. I am up to 11 now.

This one is about travel books, specifically real life travels by women.

I find these very inspiring and always dream of someday doing my own travel around the world journey. So this page is dedicated to all these brave women out there who dare to live fully:

–> http://www.squidoo.com/TravelBooksbyWomen

And while you’re there, be sure to check out my Lensography for any other new lenses or updates.