A Field Guide to Buying Organic

by Dan Schultz and Luddene Perry

Book Overview

The definitive guide to healthful, affordable food shopping in the Organic Age--from a pioneer in the organic movement What does it really mean when a food is labeled organic? While many of us believe... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553590294
• ISBN13: 9780553590296
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 380 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.0" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

A More Balanced Overview

Some of the books about organic foods out there stress the (sometimes unconvincing) benefits of purchasing organic food and dismiss evidence which doesn't back up their claims. I feel that this book gives a more balanced overview. While some sections are more in depth than the average reader would want, I think that it gives a wealth of information and leaves it to the consumer to decide what is most important to them when buying organic and how to choose products which compliment their views.

A Reasoned Approach to Organics

Contrary to what the religious wing of the organics movement might want, this book is a balanced, reasoned approach to organics. I checked into author Perry's background (what I could find) and there is no connection to the mega food industry. She's a small farmer with a CSA, organic of course. The book surveys the broad realm of organic products and offers positive, helpful advice -- what's good to buy, what makes no sense, etc. And book does a great job of covering the history and philosophy of organic agriculture. Two thumbs up, or three if you're one of those people mutated by all the pesticides floating around.

A Field Guide to Buying Organic

This book has been SO helpful in deciding which foods are worth buying organic and which ones you can safely buy conventional. I was planning on switching to all or mostly organic, but my budget just woulnd't have allowed that, so I picked up this book at the library to help me decide what to buy. For example, I'm going to keep buying regular skim milk because there were nearly no presticide residues found in it, but because pesticides hold in fats, there were a lot found in whole milk, cheese, and butter, because of the fat, so I plan to buy those organic. It also made me realize hormones in milk and meat were probably not as much of a problem as organic advocates would have you believe. I plan to buy organic fruits and veggies, and I'm still deciding on meats. These authors don't recommend all organic, but they don't seem to be in the pocket of the big farms OR the organic growers. They form their own conclusions and opinions. Great and helpful book.

Empowered with the knowledge

Before I started reading this book, I wondered whether to start on organic foods or not (as I don't like spending money). After reading it I now have a plan of transforming step by step. I understand why the previous review says it's confusing-it gives so many facts from all aspects and it contains lots of scientific & technical details that even a biology PhD student like me doesn't feel comfortable with. But this is exactly what makes it believable. I've read a few thin books advocating organic foods that cite only evidence supporting their idea. I'm sick of them-superficial works backed by pure financial interests. This book, on the contrary, presents (to the best of their capabilities) impartial data. This is honesty. The book is more than "best bets" charts that are concluded from Total Diet study. I don't any more take for granted things I eat. Being health conscious, I won't stop at this book alone and will certainly continue to monitor future trends. Overall, I feel this book is well worth the read.