7. The Value of Nothing by Raj Patel and 8. Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan
The Value of Nothing: Why do things cost what they do? Using p
lain speech that even a financial rube like me can understand, Raj Patel demystifies Homo Economicus and discusses the problem of assigned dollar cost vs. value. He starts with the recent global financial crisis and covers widespread misreadings of such thinkers as Adam Smith and Karl Marx; the dangerous reach of Ayn Rand’s ideas; the hidden social and ecological costs that should more accurately price a Big Mac at $200; food crises, witch hunts, democracy and the commons. An elegant book, The Value of Nothing forcefully makes the case that most of us are not living in a democracy, and that we need to agitate for political change and the right to participate in meaningful economic choices.
Food Rules: Intrinsically connected to The Value of Nothing is Michael Pollan’s writing on food, some of which I’ve encountered in the NYT Sunday Magazine. This slim book distills his previous writing into 64 simple rules to, as he urges: Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not too much.
A slim and easy read, but I have a feeling I’ll be returning to it often.
