A plantseye view of the world ebook written by michael pollan. In michael pollans the botany of desire, we get four stories. In his book michael pollan focuses on four plants that has been under artificial selection by humans for quite different functions such as sweetness apple, beauty tulip, intoxication cannabis and high calorie content potato. An unexpected look at the humannature relationship patagonia humans frequently assume that we are the architects of biological change, rather than mere participants. In 1637, one dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in. When looking for books about nutrition and eating, its hard not to stumble up michael pollans the omnivores dilemma and in defense of food. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in america every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers. It is a stunning insight, and no one will come away from this book without having their ideas of nature stretched and challenged.
A plantseye view of the world by michael pollan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In the botany of desire, pollan explores the concept of coevolution. An interesting book about the symbiosis between all living organism and how charles darwins evolutionary theory of natural selection is happening. You might not think the story of a plant would be very compelling, but as our plaza branch baristas book club learned, pollan intrigues readers through careful management of historical facts, research, and personal anecdotes. Michael pollan drops acid and comes back from his trip. The botany of desire pdf summary whenever we think of ourselves as humans, we think of ourselves as subjects or the ones that can influence everything. A plantseye view of the world by michael pollan introduces the possibility to the reader that plants are using insects, animals and humans to ensure their own survival. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 297 pages and is available in paperback format. Pbs premiered a twohour special documentary based on the botany of desire in fall 2009. He is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed the omnivores dilemma as well. Michael pollan is an author who teaches journalism at the uc berkeley. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The botany of desire a plantseye view of the world. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires, sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control, with the plants that satisfy them.
The botany of desire michael pollan nature documentaries. Michael pollan books list of books by author michael pollan. Michael pollan promises a plants perspective of the world in the botany of desire and delivers a book about human nature. Recurring themes through the book are how plants benefit from encouraging human attention, and the dangers of monoculture, especially how modern man has taken the diversity available in nature and severely. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of how to change your mind, cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in america every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers. A plantseye view of the world is a 2001 nonfiction book by journalist michael pollan. The new yorker we can give no higher praise to the work of this superb science writerreporter than to say that his new book is as exciting as any youll read.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The botany of desire summary september 24, 2016 april 2, 2019 niklas goeke self improvement 1sentencesummary. A plantseye view of the world new edition by pollan, michael isbn. Michael pollan, a professor of journalism and a student of food, presents the history of four plants, each of which found a way to make itself essential to humans, thus ensuring widespread propagation. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in america in 1637, one dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in amsterdam. The text, usually categorized as a nature and gardening book, presents the argument that four plants have shaped human evolution at least to the same extent that humans have shaped those plants evolution. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of how to change your mind, cooked and the omnivores. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of how to change your mind, cooked and. Those books crystallized americas healthrelated diet issues, explaining the infinite processing of foods made in factories, the absence of diet. He masterfully links four fundamental human desiressweetness, beauty, intoxication, and controlwith the plants that satisfy them. Michael pollan s 2001 nonfiction book, the botany of desire.
Pollan was born to a jewish family on long island, new york. Pollan presents case studies that mirror four types of human desires that are reflected in the way that we selectively grow, breed, and genetically engineer our plants. Reviews pollan shines a light on our own nature as well as our implication in the natural world. Michael pollan is a professor of journalism at the university of california at berkeley, a contributing writer for the new york times, and a bestselling author of witty, offbeat nonfiction that examines various aspects of the agricultural industry, the food chain, and mans place in the natural world. A plantseye view of the world paperback may 28, 2002. Botany of desire, the by michael pollan, 9780375760396, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. He writes about how humans have affected the evolution of plants and in turn plants have affected our evolution as well. Pollan is also the author of a place of my own 1997. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in america in 1637, one dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of. A plantseye view of the world, asks the reader to stop considering only the human point of view of nature and to take the perspective of the plants themselves. The main characters of this non fiction, science story are. The botany of desire explores the interplay of relationships between humans and plants. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on the botany of desire by michael pollan. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of how to change your mind, cooked and the.
Michael pollan is arguably our most prominent writer on food policy, most notably in defense of food, food rules, and the omnivores dilemma. A plantseye view of the world kindle edition by pollan, michael. Second nature, his first book, was ostensibly about gardening, but really about ways to overcome our. Now michael pollan takes four plants including the tulip and the potato, which was given a comprehensive goingover by hobhouse to give us. Apple is one of the first trees that has been cultivated and maintained through grafting by people. The stories range from the true story of johnny appleseed to pollans firsthand research with sophisticated marijuana hybrids in. Inverting the natural tendency to believe that people are somehow outside of nature, he asserts that plants manipulate our desires to help them survive and proliferate that we are, in essence, rendered human bumblebees. In the botany of desire, michael pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart of the intimately reciprocal relationship between people and plants.
The botany of desire received the borders original voices award for the best nonfiction work of 2001, and was recognized as a best book of the year by the american booksellers association and. The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers genes far and wide. Okay, okay, books by michael pollan are clearly a fad right now, but i have. Michael pollan is the author of the botany of desire, in defense of food. In the botany of desire, michael pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He is the son of author and financial consultant stephen pollan and columnist corky pollan. The botany of desire describes how, contrary to popular belief, we might not be using plants as much as plants use us, by getting humans to ensure their survival, thanks to appealing to our desires for beauty, sweetness, intoxication. In the botany of desire, michael pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and. In the botany of desire, michael pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed reciprocal relationships similar to that of honeybees and flowers. The following is a transcript of a conversation between michael pollan, the author of the botany of desire, and michael schwarz, the producerdirector of the film.
The seeds of this book were first planted in my gardenwhile i was planting seeds, as a matter of fact. Author pollan takes us on a journey through history, botany, and the human psyche through examination of four plants the apple, tulip, marijuana, and potato. What michael pollan ingeniously demonstrates in the botany of desire is that people and domesticated plant species have formed a similarly reciprocal. In the botany of desire, michael pollan asks, did we cultivate plants, or did they cultivate us. Michael pollans 2001 nonfiction book, the botany of desire. Pollan presents case studies that mirror four types. The first edition of the novel was published in 2001, and was written by michael pollan. In the botany of desire, pollan makes a persuasive case that the plants we might be tempted to see as having been most domesticated by humanity are in fact also those that have been most effective in domesticating us. In it, author michael pollan explores human impulse and its. In 1985 henry hobhouse published an important and original piece of historical writing. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the botany of desire.