Michael Pollan’s Career as a Food Educator and Journalist

Michael Pollan grew up in Long Island, New York. After studying English at Bennington College and Columbia University, he put his degrees to good use as a contributing writer to publications like Harper’s Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post. He published his first book—a collection of nature writing titled Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education—in 1991.

Since then, Michael has written extensively about the value of understanding humanity’s relationship to food, as well as the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet. He’s chronicled his research in bestsellers like The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.

Michael Pollan has a talent for the written word, a passion for positive eating habits, and an innate curiosity about the world at large. Here are just a few facts to help you get to know him better:

1. 1. He’s also written about architecture. While Michael writes primarily about food, he’s also dabbled in other subjects. A Place of My Own, his second book, chronicled his journey to build a small house where he could write in peace. Along the way, he discusses broader themes of architecture’s place in the natural world.
2. 2. He’s critical of Western diets. In Michael’s view, fast food chains, grocery stores, and factory farming food systems throughout the West fail to provide people with the elements necessary for a healthy diet. His books, like Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, encourage people to seek more nourishing foods.
3. 3. He’s intrigued by psychedelic therapies. Michael began his exploration of psychedelic drugs in the book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. As he worked on the book, he studied the effect of psychoactive plants (e.g., psilocybin mushrooms) and synthetic psychedelics (e.g., LSD) on humans’ well-being. He’s since followed it up with a book on caffeine, mescaline, and opium titled This Is Your Mind on Plants.
4. 4. He makes guest appearances often. Aside from his own prolific writing, Michael offers his insight and commentary about food, psychedelics, and more in a wide array of media appearances each year. He’s a sought-after guest for some of the modern world’s most notable podcasts, and he’s acted as a consultant for hit documentaries like Food, Inc.
5. 5. He teaches at UC Berkeley. Michael has worked at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves as a professor of environmental journalism. Inspired in part by his research for his books on innovative drug therapies, Michael also helped found the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.

Michael Pollan’s class will help you understand the sources of your food. Consider these five highlights:

1. 1. The alternatives to dieting: Michael is a diet skeptic, insisting you follow general food rules rather than fads. “My advice on diets is stay away,” he says. “When I hear about a new fad diet, my gut reaction is, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll see.’ You know, we have been through so many fad diets, and all of them founder eventually. They don't work.” By taking Michael’s class, you’ll learn how to approach food in a healthy way without resorting to unsustainable dieting trends.
2. 2. The holistic approach to food: In Michael’s view, food is more than the sum of its parts. “In America, I would argue that the ideology of food is nutritionism,” he says. “Now, what does that mean? Well, nutritionism is the belief that nutrients matter more than foods.” As you take his class, you’ll learn how to move beyond a reductionist focus on individual nutrients to a broader angle view of a food’s holistic value.
3. 3. The importance of food origins: To make personalized dietary choices, you should know your foods’ origins. “I think it's impossible to eat well unless you know where your food comes from, unless you know how it was produced,” Michael says. “You know, you can have a potato here and a potato there, and they might look the same, and they might even taste the same. But one of them may be full of pesticides.” Throughout his lessons, you’ll learn how to track down where your food originates.
4. 4. The value of plant-based eating: Michael believes eating plenty of plants will go a long way in shoring up your personal health and wellness. “A plant-based diet is tremendously important, not just to your health but to the health of the environment,” he says. “Start with health: We know that people who eat a pound or more of plants per day have a much lower risk of cancer than people who don't.” Watch Michael delve deeper into the value of plant-based eating by taking his class.

To learn more, consider the following classes:

1. 1. Apollonia Poilâne on bread baking: The CEO of the renowned French bakery Poilâne shares her philosophy and time-tested techniques for baking rustic French breads, such as pain de mie. Watch Apollonia’s class to see her demonstrate making her at-home starter.
2. 2. Ron Finley on gardening: The community activist and self-taught gardener shows you how to garden in any space and nurture your plants. Watch Ron’s class to discover how to water your plants and why growing your own food gives you freedom.
3. 3. Dominique Crenn on modern vegetarian cooking: The celebrated chef shares her techniques while guiding you through a testing menu of elevated recipes. Watch Dominique’s class to discover the kitchen tools and pantry staples you need to make roasted cabbage, vegetable Parmentier, and other delicious vegetarian recipes.

See food like you have never seen it before. With the MasterClass Annual Membership, journalist and educator Michael Pollan teaches you how to determine your ingredient sources, shop at the grocery store, and rethink your relationship to food.