"Fire, water, air, earth--our most trusted food expert recounts the story of his culinary education In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements--fire, water, air, and earth--to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer. In the course of his journey, he discovers that the cook occupies a special place in the world, standing squarely between nature and culture. Both realms are transformed by cooking, and so, in the process, is the cook. Each section of Cooked tracks Pollan's effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements. A North Carolina barbecue pit master tutors him in the primal magic of fire; a Chez Panisse-trained cook schools him in the art of braising; a celebrated baker teaches him how air transforms grain and water into a fragrant loaf of bread; and finally, several mad-genius "fermentos" (a tribe that includes brewers, cheese makers, and all kinds of picklers) reveal how fungi and bacteria can perform the most amazing alchemies of all. The reader learns alongside Pollan, but the lessons move beyond the practical to become an investigation of how cooking involves us in a web of social and ecological relationships: with plants and animals, the soil, farmers, our history and culture, and, of course, the people our cooking nourishes and delights. Cooking, above all, connects us. The effects of not cooking are similarly far reaching. Relying upon corporations to process our food means we consume huge quantities of fat, sugar, and salt; disrupt an essential link to the natural world; and weaken our relationships with family and friends. In fact, Cooked argues, taking back control of cooking may be the single most important step anyone can take to help make the American food system healthier and more sustainable. Reclaiming cooking as an act of enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life. "-- "In Cooked, Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements--fire, water, air, and earth--to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. In the course of his journey, he discovers that the cook occupies a special place in the world, standing squarely between nature and culture. Both realms are transformed by cooking, and so, in the process, is the cook"--

"For 20 years, the Great Place to Work® Institute has been developing the annual ranking of the best companies to work for in the US and in 39 countries around the world. In the US, the ranking is published by FORTUNE and is best known as the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For. In 2010, the list included among its finalists: SAS, Google, REI, Scripps Health, Hoar Construction, DreamWorks Animation, Zappos.com, Salesforce.com, Cisco, Marriott Interntional, American Express, Mayo Clinic, Microsoft. Drawing on the Institute's wide and deep body of knowledge acquired in the process of producing this ranking, Institute senior consultant Michael Burchell and research fellow Jennifer Robin reveal that what separates the great from the good companies to work for is the leader's ability to create Trust, Pride and Camaraderie in their companies. THE GREAT WORKPLACE explains the concept of a Great Place to Work--defined as one in which employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do, and enjoy the people they work with--and demystifies the Institute's Great Place to Work model, developed in 1984 and validated through its enduring resonance in both the United States and in 40 countries around the world. It also answers the fundamental question, "What is the business value of creating a great workplace?" and brings the definition of a Great Place to Work alive with anecdotes, best practices, and quotes from employees working at the best workplaces in the US (and ranked in the list). Companies featured in the book include: General Mills, Google, Gore, Microsoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SAS, Scripps Health, Wegman's and S.C. Johnson. As organizations grapple with the complexity and challenges of leveraging human capital in today's hyper-competitive work world--and as the Institute increases its presence across the world--THE GREAT WORKPLACE will be the "must read" source for understanding the essential ingredients in and trends of great places to work"--