Working my way through my stack of books, I finished this one yesterday. This book takes a close look at the way 4 ubiquitous plants -- the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato -- have co-evolved with humans (with our help of course) to fulfill 4 very different human desires -- sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control.This book was a wonder, from start to finish. You might say, "But I'm no gardener!" to which I'll say that Pollan's book has little to do with gardening and a lot to do with what it means to be human.
It is full of fascinating information, from a history of John Chapman (a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed) to the ins and outs of growing marijuana in our current era of prohibition. (I was still way back in the seventies in my knowledge of that! I confess, it made me want to experience that kind of an altered consciousness again.)
Along the way Pollan weaves in hilarious anecdotes, mystery, intrigue, and ultimately illuminates the idiocy of the so-called War on Drugs, as well as the danger that biotech giant Monsanto poses to the world's food supply and life as we know it.
Highly recommended!
Remember, if you buy this book from Amazon, I won't share my Crackerjacks with you.
3 comments:
I have his "Omnivore's Dilemma" on my list... Have you read that?
Okay here's a question for you... (And it's not a loaded question.. I'm not asking as a librarian but as a reader.) Do you tend to buy books or get them out from the library?
For me that decision is a combo of how flush I feel and how much I know about the book (and therefore how much I think I will need to mark it up). Unfortunately for me, the act of buying a book sometimes feels as satisfying as actually reading it. (That is a confession.) Okay I've just erased a bunch of other stuff. Evidently I am in a confessional mood today. Well, enough of that!
Hi, trtrtr. I just saw that he had another book. There are about 180 holds on it at the library, so I'll probably be getting it in October.
I used to get pleasure from buying books, but I don't anymore. It often feels like acquiring more stuff. For example, one of my families gave me a gift card to A Room of One's Own as a thank you gift. I went to the store, and the more I looked, the more overwhelmed and ultimately disgusted I became. I ended up buying a book ("Blessed Unrest" by Paul Hawken) which I almost instantly regretted.
There are books that I take pleasure in owning; some lavish art or craft books, or books that I know I will read multiple times. Some favorite children's books. Or some that are simply too obscure to obtain through the library. But I mainly use the library.
Having said all that, next week I will be at a big Quaker gathering which will have a well-stocked Quaker bookstore. I am sure there will be some irresistible temptations ...
Luminiferous
You write such very good book reviews. As a recovering French medieval literature specialist (sneeze), I have developed an avid appetite for non-fiction. This looks like something I'll put on my library list.
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