Analysis of I) The Plant

As the name suggests, this entire chapter is devoted to providing all the relevant information on the champion crop - Zea Mays aka corn, came to power as THE industrial plant.

The journey begin at the supermarket. Tracing the food chain of everything from meat products (what the animals ate) to soft drinks (the sweetener used) - the author was astonished to find corn waiting at the beginning of of every single one of these chains is corn!


source: Ecotality Life

Which comes as very surprising, and it immediately reminded me of a movie that someone once told me; about an old B-movie portraying everything that in the world eat came down to a barrel of basic materials.

The Mexicans were known to be "corn people", their diet consisted of lots and corn -Tortilla, nachos, to parallel South East Asians are know to be "rice people" .

Yet for some bizarre reason, scientist found that there is a high percentage of "corn carbon" (corn takes in an extra carbon when it inhales) in a typical North Americans hair. How can this possibly be? I am willing to bet that most people in our society can not recall the last meal in which they had corn.

The inference drawn from this is that, we are bigger corn people than the Mexicans!


source: Filimadami

From here on the author presents the historical background on how corn came to be in North America, almost making corn sound like a "tool" rather than a plant in the process.

Corn, aka Zea mays, was originally just a simple grass in the fields of central America. Due to freak of evolution (bigger seeds) and sheer luck (discovered by hungry Indians), it spread its seeds with the help of native American Indians.

When the Europeans settler came in, their crops of the old world (wheat) did not grow as well as corn of the Indians. Doing what all good early colonist would do, they learned how to grow corn from the Indians, and they're lives are secure in the new world, they started to exploits the Indians. According to the author, corn indirectly contributed to the rise of European colonists and the downfall of the Indians.

Reminds me of a song by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden - Run to the hills.

The author than talks about how corn evolved into the way we desire it to. To be subservient of us in order to spread its seeds. This information is making wonder if the author wants us to question if we are using corn...or is corn using us? Which specie is the dominant one here?

To put in nail the coffin, the final set of facts presented allows the author to conclude that corn is the ultimate industrial "tool". Even the birthing process of corn allows for it to be an efficient industrial agent. Corn is able to inherent trains directly from parent plants, allows to better crops form cross breading. And ultimately defying laws of nature, and complying the laws of corporate science, the seeds of corn allows the crop to be "copyrighted" - forcing the farmers to buy seeds to corporations, making corn almost a machine-like quality.


source: Cincinnati Locavore

So how can the industrialist make the most of this handy tool? we're about to find out.

Analysis of the Introduction - Our National Eating Disorder

This introduction begins with the one question that the entire book attempts to answer - "What should we have for dinner?". From this seemly simple question, the author steadily expands on the underlying complexities surrounding the foods that fills the American stomach. Almost immediately, the standpoint taken is that of a concerned journalist, and on a mission to investigate the unstable American diet; why is it that the French - eating "unhealthy" foods such as foie gras - can be healthier and leaner?

source: Lifelounge

The title of the book is then brought to focus: a herbivore such as Koalas only has the eucalyptus leaf to worry about, whereas omnivores like rats have a slew of eatables to pick and choose calories from. Even highly evolved primates such as us humans, still faces the same challenge in a differently form. Organic or non-organic fruits? farmed or wild fish? According to the author, this decision making process inevitably stirs anxiety.

Attempting to rationalize this dilemma, the author takes on the presumption that humans are apart of the food chain just like every other plant/animal. He presents his research and findings (as a pseudo-naturalist) into three primary food chains that supports us:

1) How the origin of almost all industrious foods traces back to corn.
2) The alternative to industrial farming - organic and pastoral farming.
3) The hunter and gather style of putting together a meal.


source: New York Times


There are two reoccurring themes to all three noted by author using his method of reasoning (food chains):

1) The logic of nature - to diversify species in a place VS the monoculture of the human industry
results in problems.
2) The way we eat is equal to the our most profound engagement to the world. We shape nature
by how we eat, and the nature also changes to accommodate us.

These findings are an attempt to expose the cold truths about the food industry, injected some personal comments of the author, "sad that we lost touch with what we eat". It is up to us reader to draw our own conclusions regarding "report", be it negative consequences.

To end this introduction (or to begin the book), the author cautions that this book is not for the ignorant. He says that this exploration will ruin their appetite. As with any good investigative journalism, this book is intended for those curious about the truth, and will enjoy and appreciate their meals more after the read.