All creatures are defined ecologically by how they fit into a food chain. For humans, food industrialization has obscured this once-plain fact; most Americans are only dimly aware that their food represents their most profound engagement with the natural world. Michael Pollan, author of "The Botany of Desire" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma," both New York Times best sellers, conducted a series of personal explorations of the food chain: growing a genetically modified potato, tracing an organic TV dinner from grocery freezer to farm and buying and following a steer from insemination to steak. Pollan will tell these stories to tease out conclusions about what's gone wrong with the industrial food system and its implications for our health. He'll also explore healthier alternatives to industrial food.

Recorded February 8, 2007.