The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

<p class="null1">The book that helped make Michael Pollan,&nbsp;the&nbsp;<i>New York Times</i>&nbsp;bestselling author of&nbsp;<i>Cooked</i>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<i>The Omnivore’s Dilemma,&nbsp;</i>one of the most trusted food experts in America</p> <p>Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers’ genes far and wide. In <i>The Botany of Desire,</i> Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?</p> <p>Weaving fascinating anecdotes and accessible science into gorgeous prose, Pollan takes us on an absorbing journey that will change the way we think about our place in nature. </p>

Author(s): Michael Pollan  

ISBN 10: 0375760393
ISBN 13: 9780375760396
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Publication: May 2002