Food Rules: An Eater's Manual
Michael Pollan

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual

$9.38
Last updated Oct 23, 2026 at 9:28am
Michael Pollan

About this product

#1 New York Times Bestseller
"A useful and funny purse-sized manual that could easily replace all the diet books on your bookshelf." —Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times
A definitive compendium of food wisdom
Eating doesn’t have to be so complicated. In this age of ever-more elaborate diets and conflicting health advice, Food Rule s brings welcome simplicity to our daily decisions about food. Written with clarity, concision, and wit that has become bestselling author Michael Pollan’s trademark, this indispensable handbook lays out a set of straightforward, memorable rules for eating wisely, one per page, accompanied by a concise explanation. It’s an easy-to-use guide that draws from a variety of traditions, suggesting how different cultures through the ages have arrived at the same enduring wisdom about food. Whether at the supermarket or an all-you-can-eat buffet, this is the perfect guide for anyone who ever wondered, “What should I eat?”
"In the more than four decades that I have been reading and writing about the findings of nutritional science, I have come across nothing more intelligent, sensible and simple to follow than the 64 principles outlined in a slender, easy-to-digest new book called Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, by Michael Pollan." —Jane Brody, The New York Times
"It doesn't get much easier than this. Each page has a simple rule, sometimes with a short explanation, sometimes without, that promotes Pollan's back-to-the-basics-of-food (and-food-enjoyment) philosophy." — The Los Angeles Times Read more

Editor's Take

Amazon reviewers say this book is valuable, practical, easy to follow, and notably short and readable, though opinions are mixed on whether it is worth the price.

Goodreads shows thousands of community reviews, with many readers praising the book’s simplicity, wit, and concise format. Reddit discussions also reflect that readers like its plain-language, common-sense food advice and quote its most memorable rules.

Review blogs describe it as a compact, CliffsNotes-style guide to Michael Pollan’s broader food philosophy, and some independent reviewers call it entertaining, sensible, and easy to recommend. Overall, the feedback is strongly positive for usefulness and readability, with the main criticism being limited depth and occasional value-for-money concerns.

Price History

Specifications

Topic Nutrition

Product Details

Publisher Penguin Books
Publication date December 29, 2009
Edition Illustrated
Language English
Print length 140 pages
ISBN-10 014311638X
ISBN-13 978-0143116387
Item Weight 2.31 pounds
Dimensions 4.4 x 0.44 x 7.13 inches
Best Sellers Rank #22,671 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2 in Caffeine #16 in Heart Healthy Cooking (Books) #68 in Other Diet Books
Customer Reviews 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (4,967)

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