OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile
Author Greenberg narrates his deep dive into the science, history, and culture of the omega fatty acids—3 and 6—with passion and verve. He even takes the occasional foray into impersonating some of his subjects. A close student of fish, the oceans, and the implications of our land-based diet, Greenberg leads the listener around the world, stopping off to interview omega experts, searching out fisheries of all kinds, and examining the various health claims that surround the omega 3s. Greenberg is an able narrator and a committed champion of the idea that we would all be better off adding fish to our diets and more aquaculture to the planet. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Greenberg elucidates the mechanisms behind the incredibly popular dietary supplement, examines its impact on the ocean, and embarks on a personal experiment to get to the bottom of an array of health claims. The result is informative and fun (and yes, surprisingly perfect for the beach!)”—Civil Eats
“Greenberg’s narrative maneuvers the world of omega-3 fatty acids with a healthy dose of skepticism and a mission to uncover truth that lies under the waves. . . . Greenberg gives us science writing with heart.”—Sierra magazine
“Popular writers often extol the benefits of omega-3s. Greenberg reviews the shaky evidence and delivers a penetrating analysis of its science, business, and future. . . . Greenberg also includes specifics of a healthy, life-extending diet; it requires omega-3s—but not in pill form. . . . An expert review of the human exploitation of marine life.”—Kirkus
“The angles for looking at omega-3s are many. The Omega Principle is a welcome one-stop shop, evaluating the science underlying its status as nutritional darling, the massive supplement industry behind it, and the fragile ecosystems propping that industry up. If you take fish oil, eat fish, or follow the arrow of conventional nutritional science, this is a topic you owe it to yourself to research. . . . Greenberg’s conversational writing style makes his books anything but an academic exercise.”—Medium
“Paul Greenberg’s book ranges widely and with great gusto—from fisheries halfway across the globe to academic conferences on metabolism and longevity—to tell the story of supplements, dietary fads, quackery, and the future of human health. This is an important, entertaining, and wonderfully crafted work.”—Siddhartha Mukherjee
“It takes no small measure of writing skill to make a book about fatty acids gripping. To be honest, I have never been drawn to the subject and tend to avoid people who use the phrase “omega 3.” And yet Paul Greenberg has written a book on the subject that is engaging and important, a book that is a pleasure and should be read.”—Mark Kurlansky
"The Omega Principle encapsulates all the complexity and intricacies of our broken food system with the story of one (seemingly) simple supplement. Paul Greenberg takes us on another brilliant deep dive with an entirely new lens. This book demands our attention.”—Dan Barber
“Paul Greenberg goes searching for the secret to longevity, and what he learns is, in many ways, more interesting. The Omega Principle should be read by anyone who cares about human health or the health of the planet, which is to say everyone.”—Elizabeth Kolbert
OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile
Author Greenberg narrates his deep dive into the science, history, and culture of the omega fatty acids—3 and 6—with passion and verve. He even takes the occasional foray into impersonating some of his subjects. A close student of fish, the oceans, and the implications of our land-based diet, Greenberg leads the listener around the world, stopping off to interview omega experts, searching out fisheries of all kinds, and examining the various health claims that surround the omega 3s. Greenberg is an able narrator and a committed champion of the idea that we would all be better off adding fish to our diets and more aquaculture to the planet. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-05-01
The James Beard Award winner and New York Times contributor dives into the world of "an oil that some believed would help us be much better than we are."The title refers to omega-3 fatty acids, essential nutrients in seafood but increasingly consumed as fish oil capsules, perhaps America's leading nutritional supplement and a burgeoning multibillion-dollar industry. However, fish don't make omega-3s; it's manufactured by phytoplankton, minuscule plants at the bottom of the oceanic food chain. Tiny crustaceans called krill eat phytoplankton, and they are eaten in turn by fish, seals, whales, penguins, and increasingly by humans. Popular writers often extol the benefits of omega-3s. Greenberg (American Catch: The Fight for Our Local Seafood, 2014) reviews the shaky evidence and delivers a penetrating analysis of its science, business, and future, and he also turns his attention to all aspects of the exploitation of sea life. Wild land animals make up a tiny fraction of our diet, but fleets of ships have been sweeping the seas for generations. Most readers will sit up at the news that this provides not only food and supplemental oil, but massive quantities of fertilizer and animal feed. Industry spokesmen maintain that scientific management will preserve the supply, but Greenberg interviews plenty of experts who disagree. "Unlike small plots of land that farmers for millennia have tended with care…no one has ever truly cared about the sea," he writes. "It has been treated as a mine from which wealth is taken and never returned." In the obligatory how-to-fix-it final chapter, the author describes dedicated individuals and their ingenious techniques for preserving these resources. All seem exciting, at least in theory. Greenberg also includes specifics of a healthy, life-extending diet; it requires omega-3s—but not in pill form.The author offers little good news but provides an expert review of the human exploitation of marine life.
