It’s tremendous.

The catch is that to get the most out of that last chapter, you need to read the first 182 pages, too.

Michael Pollan is on a mission and his message is seven words long.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

The amazing thing is just how well these seven words really convey the core of his message in a way that is simple and VERY easy to remember. I think I had to read it exactly twice before I had it committed to memory.

The other astonishing thing is how well Pollan makes his case for a departure from the Western diet that has become the norm in America and many other parts of the world over the last 50 years. In Defense of Food examines the industrialization of how and where we humans get our food. The question of what’s for dinner is one that has become remarkably confusing. Should we eat less fat? No fat? No carbs? More Omega-3s? More whole grains? It was shocking to me how quickly and succinctly Pollan cuts through all the myths to tell us something that probably shouldn’t surprise us: that deciding what we should eat is actually very simple.

It may seem silly to have to instruct people to do something as simple as “eat food,” but on closer inspection it’s surprising how many of the things we eat are merely food-like substances masquerading as food. Furthermore, Pollan’s recommendation of “not too much” also seems like common sense, but he goes on to demonstrate that most Americans decide to stop eating “when they run out of food” or “when they’re plate is empty” instead of when they are full. That the answers to so many of our gastronomic quandaries are this simple should tell you something about how confused we are as eaters.

In the last section of the book, Pollan then gives his readers very short, simple, memorable rules to help us decide what and how to eat. Rules that are surprisingly easy to follow, like “don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food” (ie. Go-gurt: is this toothpaste?), and “Eat slowly.” Rules that make so much sense that it’s refreshing just to hear someone say them out loud.

I recommend this book to you for two reasons. First and foremost, because Pollan has in effect dethroned the nutritional clergy of scientists and journalist who tell us we can’t make good eating decisions without their “expert” guidance. But even if you’re not interested in his criticism of modern agribusiness, read his book because it’s an example of how to present evidence effectively. Pollan makes his ideas sticky (to borrow a term from the Heath Brothers). Or as Chris Brogan might say, he gives them handles that make it easy for his readers to pick them up and pass them around. Much as I am doing with you now.

I wish all speakers, writers, teachers, and communicators of any kind would work on refining their messages until they seem as simple and intuitive as Pollan’s. And, if you eat, I really think you should read this book.