Silicon Valley Reads 2010:
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
by Michael Pollan

SAN JOSE, CA— In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan has been selected as the featured book for Silicon Valley Reads 2010. The examination of what is wrong with the American diet won a James Beard Foundation Book Award and topped the New York Times bestseller list for six weeks when published in 2008.

In 200 easy-to-read pages, Pollan describes how "nutritionism" has complicated the lives of people who want to eat a healthy diet and reduce their risk of chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension. He advocates a return to natural foods "that your great-grandmother would recognize" and offers practical advice on how to follow his manifesto: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Pollan will appear at the Silicon Valley Reads 2010 kick-off event on January 27, 2010 at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell. His on-stage interview by Mercury News columnist Mike Cassidy begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free -- first come, first seated.

"It is a genuine honor to be chosen by the community," said Pollan. "I look forward to helping launch the conversation about the role of food in the health care crisis, and the future of eating in America."

Pollan has written numerous articles and books about food and agriculture, including The Omnivore's Dilemma and Botany of Desire. The latter will be the basis for a PBS two-hour documentary this fall. In 2003, Pollan was appointed the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism at U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, and the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism. He is a frequent contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine.

This is the eighth year of Silicon Valley Reads, presented by Santa Clara County Library, Santa Clara County Office of Education, and the San Jose Public Library Foundation. Sponsors for 2010 include The Health Trust, the Michael and Alyce Parsons Foundation, and the Cupertino Library Foundation.

"This is the fifth nonfiction book we've selected for Silicon Valley Reads, but the first focused on health," said Melinda Cervantes, Santa Clara County Librarian and co-chair of Silicon Valley Reads. Other co-chairs are Linda Aceves of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, and Jane Light of the San Jose Library.

"We are excited about the potential of Silicon Valley Reads in 2010 to not only encourage reading and the appreciation of good books, but to potentially impact both individual lifestyle behaviors and public policy that could improve the health of our community," Cervantes said.

"This book gives Silicon Valley the opportunity to have a community-wide dialogue about healthy eating; it is the cornerstone of good health," added Frederick J. Ferrer, CEO of The Health Trust, a nonprofit foundation with a vision of Silicon Valley as the healthiest region in America.

Ferrer emphasized the importance of making Silicon Valley a healthy place for all its residents. "We must ensure that we engage everyone in the community in this conversation--because healthy eating shouldn't just be a privilege for those who can afford it," he said.

Later this fall, Silicon Valley Reads will announce the title of two companion books for children, a picture book and a book for young readers with themes similar to In Defense of Food.

For more information, visit www.siliconvalleyreads.org.

Date last updated: September 8, 2009