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Michael Pollan's reportage about food started changing my eating habits even before "The Omnivore's Dilemma" introduced him to a wider audience.

Specifically, it was an article in the New York Times Magazine -- which he then incorporated into the book -- that described his purchase of a calf in South Dakota, then following its life all the way through to a Kansas slaughterhouse. One particular bit of information particularly impressed me: It took about 100 gallons of oil to get a single animal from birth to the meat cooler at your local Kroger's.

That seemed incredibly wasteful to me. And I substantially reduced my consumption of red meat. (Not entirely. I still love a good cheeseburger. I'm human.)

Now Pollan's out with a new book, "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto," which promises to help regular folks eat healthier and -- here's the political part -- outside the reach of "Big Food." I'll see if Ben will read it with me; it's not a political book, per se, but it's not NOT a political book, either. As Laura Shapiro says today in Slate:

He may not go about organizing food co-ops or marching against Monsanto, but Pollan constantly exhorts readers to bypass supermarkets and seek out the farmer. He encourages people to lobby for changes in the grossly destructive farm bill, and his relentless reporting on agribusiness is one of the most powerful weapons that exists in the whole arsenal of food politics.