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BookmarkWorking in his garden one day, Michael Pollan hit pay dirt in the form of an idea: do plants, he wondered, use humans as much as we use them? While the question is not entirely original, the way Pollan examines this complex coevolution by looking at the natural world from the perspective of plants is unique.
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The result is a fascinating and engaging look at the true nature of domestication.
In making his point, Pollan focuses on the relationship between humans and four specific plants: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes.
He uses the history of John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) to illustrate how both the apple's sweetness and its role in the production of alcoholic cider made it appealing to settlers moving west, thus greatly expanding the plant's range.
He also explains how human manipulation of the plant has weakened it, so that "modern apples require more pesticide than any other food crop." The tulipomania of 17th-century Holland is a backdrop for his examination of the role the tulip's beauty played in wildly influencing human behavior to both the benefit and detriment of the plant (the markings that made the tulip so attractive to the Dutch were actually caused by a virus).
His excellent discussion of the potato combines a history of the plant with a prime example of how biotechnology is changing our relationship to nature.
As part of his research, Pollan visited the Monsanto company headquarters and planted some of their NewLeaf brand potatoes in his garden--seeds that had been genetically engineered to produce their own insecticide.
For more information about the title The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, read the full description at Amazon.com, or see the following related books:
Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota — Gardeners use native plants for several reasons. For many, their initial attraction is to native plants’ reputation for being low maintenance, ... > read more
Designing California Native Gardens: The Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens — Inspirational, practical, and easy to use, this book was created with the aim of conveying the awesome diversity and beauty of California's native ... > read more
The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications — The most comprehensive guide to the botany, history, distribution, and cultivation of all known psychoactive plants• Examines 414 psychoactive ... > read more
Tropical Plants of Costa Rica: A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora — Ranging from miniature epiphytic orchids to towering trees, and from mangrove forests lining coastal waterways to high-elevation cloud forests, ... > read more
