Day 14--A Non-Fiction Book

I just started getting into non-fiction a few years ago. I can't remember the memoir that got me started, but I've grown to really enjoy reading true stories. Well. As true as a story can be, I guess. depends on who's doing the telling.

So anyway, I had a tough time choosing a favorite. Non-fiction is such a broad brushstroke. And so, yet again, I've picked two. The first is The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I like his philosophy on food--eat close to the ground, local over imported, local over even organic, if it means organic is from thousands of miles away.

I read this book at a time in my life when I was in transition. I'd been a vegetarian for several years before I got married, and for a few years after. When we were getting ready for a trip to Italy I decided I couldn't go there and miss out on cingiale and prosciutto, or constantly explain in Italian that I didn't want meat in my food. So, I dropped the ball. But even though I'd incorporated meat back into my diet, I still wanted to be responsible about it. Let's face it: eating meat isn't exactly the environmentally responsible choice.

And this book helped me flesh out my own philosophy on responsible eating--while still maintaining my enjoyment for meals. Ergo our burgers aren't cheap, but I feel pretty OK about eating them.

The second is a book I recently finished titled Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall. This dude basically heads to Mexico to find a guy called Caballo Blanco--a legendary, off the radar runner who lives among the Tarahumara Indian tribe. This is in a seriously badlands part of Mexico where people routinely get lost--or rather, vanish--at the hands of drug cartels or the treacherous, labrynthine Copper Canyon.

Blah blah blah. This was a wicked awesome read, and made me feel some kind of faith in the strength of the human spirit. And it really made me want to go out running.  Dudes, check it out. Check both of these out.