If you ever thought "What's for dinner?" was a simple question, you'll change your mind after reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, the provocative book chosen for the 2006 Campus Community Book Project.

In this 464-page work, Pollan, a UC Berkeley journalism prrofessor, examines what he calls "our national eating disorder," symbolized by such trends as the Atkins diet craze and the rapid rise in obesity. In particular, he writes about how our food is grown — what it is, in fact, that we are eating.

Pollan's book is divided into three thematic sections: The first discusses industrial farming; the second, organic food, both as big business and on a relatively small farm; and the third, what it is like to hunt and gather food for oneself.

The book project culminates with Pollan's Nov. 29 campus visit — tickets for this talk at Mondavi Center are available at mondaviarts.org/events/event.cfm?event_id=252.

Beyond the Mondavi event, all the other events are free and open to the public. UC Davis faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in the program's events and activities through Nov. 30. Activities, discussions and entertainment through October include:

• Sept. 1 through Dec. 10 — Fine art exhibit, The Omnivore's Dilemma as Represented in Art, Nelson Satellite Gallery, Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.
• Sept. 28 — Faculty roundtable, Teaching The Omnivore's Dilemma, 4:10-5 p.m. in 126 Voorhies.
• Oct. 14 — Book project kick-off, Davis Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., books available for purchase at a special discount; 12:10 to 1 p.m. book project overview, Central Park, Third and C streets.
• Oct. 16 — A multi-factorial Perspective on Obesity: Science, Public Policy, Media Coverage and Industry, 4:10 to 5:30 p.m at East Conference Room, Memorial Union.
• Oct. 16 — Local Food Week: Farm to School Program: Local Food in the Lunchroom, 12:10 to 1 p.m. at the DeCarli Room, Memorial Union.
• Oct. 17 — Making Campus Food Service More Sustainable, 12:10 to 1 p.m. at the Coffee House, MU.
• Oct. 18 — Food Marketing's Impact on Children and What to Do about It, 12:10 to 1:30 p.m. in the MU Art Gallery, 2nd floor.
• Oct. 18 Food Marketing aimed at College-Age Adults, 6 to 8 p.m., MUII.
• Oct. 19 — Social Justice on the Farm 12:10 to 1:30 p.m. in the DeCarli Room, MU.
• Oct. 19 — Ripe for Change, film screening and discussion, 7 to 9 p.m. in the Southwest Dining Room of the MU Coffee House.
• Oct. 20 — A Taste of the Coffee House, 1 to 3 p.m. in the Southwest Dining Room of the MU Coffee House.
• Oct. 20 — Tour of UC Davis Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, 3 to 5 p.m. at the MU Coffeehouse.
• Oct. 20 — The Future of Food, film screening, 6 to 8 p.m. at Chemistry 179.
• Oct. 21 Aggie Parents Meet The Omnivore's Dilemma, 10 to 11 a.m. King Lounge, MU.
• Oct. 23 — What Do I Eat Now? Stephanie Abundo, community member, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Davis Public Library, small conference room.
• Oct. 25 — Farm to College, 4:30 to 8 p.m., Segundo, Tercero, Castilian, and Oxford dining halls.
• Oct. 26 — Bringing Healthier Food to Low-income Neighborhoods: Convenience Stores, Farmers Markets, and Food Security, 1210 to 1:30 p.m., MUII.
• Oct. 27 — A Hill of Beans: A History of the World's Most Ubiquitous Peasant Food, 12:10 to 1:30 p.m. in 2203 Social Sciences and Humanities.
• Oct. 27 — Super Size Me, film screening, 6 to 8 p.m. in Chemistry 194.
• Oct. 28 — Avenue of the Scarecrows: Davis Farm to School Connection Showcase, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Davis Farmers Market.
• Oct. 30 — Local Food for Davis Omnivores, 6 to 8 p.m. Davis Food Co-op, Community Room, 620 G St.
• Oct. 31 — The Omnivore's Expanding Options — Where's the Dilemma? 12:10 to 1 p.m., 164 MU

A full listing of events through Nov. 30 is available at http://occr.ucdavis.edu/ccbp2006/events.cfm.

Finally, the campus bookstore is selling The Omnivore's Dilemma at a discount during the project.