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erincataldi's review
3.0
Plant aficionados will delight in the entertaining history behind their favorite houseplants while learning some botanical tips along the way. From the Neolithic age to the tulip craze to social media, Molly Williams explores when plants first started living indoors as companions and shares how they have evolved (and disappeared) over the centuries. Greenhouses, terrariums, and fertilizers have all brought forth new waves of indoor garden enthusiasts. Through the centuries the gardening fads may have changed, but people seem to love greening up their indoor space in new and innovative ways. Narrated by the author herself, this audiobook is a delightful listen, though having the physical book may be handy for those who have trouble spelling the scientific name of the plants mentioned and for seeing the illustrations. The end of the book contains leafy legacy botanical activities for readers to do; from Bonsai trees to hanging plants and terracotta pots – all the gardening tips tie back in with the previously discussed houseplants. Part microhistory, part tips and tricks, this book is great for beginners and experts. A great read for all those who love their flora.
merryberries's review
4.0
(4/5) This microhistory of the houseplant was so interesting! I thought the pace was good and it didn't spend too much or too little time on any specific topic. At the end of each chapter, there were different tips, tricks, and suggestions for your own houseplants that I appreciated. I think this book, while an overview, also did a good job of not just focusing on the Eurocentric history of houseplants. And if you're interested in any of the topics, or felt that you wanted to learn more, the author provides resources at the end of the book for further research.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
mariapatrickwrites's review
4.0
"Taming the Potted Beast" by Molly Williams was an incredibly enjoyable listen. I did not know what to expect going into this book, but as a plant lover, I was fascinated by everything Williams had to share.
This book covers everything! From the history of houseplants as far back as the ancient world, to how to select and care for houseplants today, and the dark underbelly of the plant-selling community - there is something for everybody to gain from reading "Taming the Potted Beast."
If you fancy yourself a plant collector, whether as a hobby or on a larger scale, this book is a must read.
This book covers everything! From the history of houseplants as far back as the ancient world, to how to select and care for houseplants today, and the dark underbelly of the plant-selling community - there is something for everybody to gain from reading "Taming the Potted Beast."
If you fancy yourself a plant collector, whether as a hobby or on a larger scale, this book is a must read.
vinisha's review
4.0
Such a random fun read. Although, I don’t particularly consider myself plant-curious, this was so entertaining because of the history aspect.
The author essentially divided the history of plants into 9 major periods, spanning right from the Neolithic era to the present day indoor plant trends. Super cool stuff. My favorite was the bonsai chapter for sure (and I’m totally not biased because of my love for Japan)
The author essentially divided the history of plants into 9 major periods, spanning right from the Neolithic era to the present day indoor plant trends. Super cool stuff. My favorite was the bonsai chapter for sure (and I’m totally not biased because of my love for Japan)
midsummerbri's review against another edition
5.0
I saw the cover and couldn't pass it up! I will definitely be getting a physical copy because the preview images show awesome illustrations. The audiobook was read by the author and was a fun and easy listen. I guess my only real complaint is that the book is clearly supposed to have visual elements so sometimes I wanted to be able to look at the page that lists all the pests or suggested plants instead of just hearing them all listed. But that is only a few parts and the vast majority of the book is very enjoyable to listen to.
As far as the content, it's full of great facts and history that will shine new light on the plants in your home. The information is well researched and presented in a fun manor. The back of the book is full of resources for further research, care and keeping instructions, tips on picking the best plant for your abilities, and lots more. I already have plans to gift this book to several people.
Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
As far as the content, it's full of great facts and history that will shine new light on the plants in your home. The information is well researched and presented in a fun manor. The back of the book is full of resources for further research, care and keeping instructions, tips on picking the best plant for your abilities, and lots more. I already have plans to gift this book to several people.
Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
midsummerbri's review
5.0
I saw the cover and couldn't pass it up! I will definitely be getting a physical copy because the preview images show awesome illustrations. The audiobook was read by the author and was a fun and easy listen. I guess my only real complaint is that the book is clearly supposed to have visual elements so sometimes I wanted to be able to look at the page that lists all the pests or suggested plants instead of just hearing them all listed. But that is only a few parts and the vast majority of the book is very enjoyable to listen to. As far as the content, it's full of great facts and history that will shine new light on the plants in your home. The information is well researched and presented in a fun manor. The back of the book is full of resources for further research, care and keeping instructions, tips on picking the best plant for your abilities, and lots more. I already have plans to gift this book to several people. Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
novella42's review
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
I came for the historical curiosity, and stayed for the cultural context and excellent breakdown of how to buy plants ethically in a modern era.
The section on the effect of the pandemic on the houseplant industry was eye opening. I'd been caught up in these trends without even really being aware of it, and it was great to get some detailed perspective.
I almost marked this as a medium-paced book but reconsidered that it moved quite fast for a nonfiction historical book.
I took away a star for several reasons, none of which were enough to make me stop reading:
- It would have helped a ton to have illustrations or an insert of photos to go with each plant featurette. I spent so much time googling everything, it kept taking me out of the book.
- It was a little annoying that she kept repeating plants in different chronological sections, with slightly different info, so to get a full read on the ficus or monstera, etc., you would need to reference an index (there isn't one) or get a digital version so you can search for the plant that way.
- While I definitely appreciated her pushing back against Christopher Columbus worship and the colonizer attitudes that led to poaching and deforestation, I kept expecting Williams to go further and was disappointed that the book left out the voices of Indigenous people. It was cool to see the native habitats of all our favorite plants, but there were lots of instances of "this plant was discovered by [white European dude]." One example is poinsettia, which she mentions was named by a US Ambassador to Mexico who found it and named it in 1828. I was hoping she'd mention the Indigenous context: "The Aztecs called poinsettia cuetlaxochitl (brilliant flower) and the Mayans referred to it as k'alul wits (ember flower). These indigenous peoples had a variety of aesthetic, practical, and medicinal uses, as well as magical beliefs for poinsettia." (Quoting from UMass Extension online.) It also would've been interesting to note that Poinsett was a slaveowner and proponent of slavery, he was deeply racist towards Native Americans, and he was so rude and awful to the people of Mexico that they coined the term "Poinsettismo" to refer to terrible intrusive behavior—right before kicking him out. Anyway, I digress, but there's a push towards using the Aztec name instead, Cuetlaxochitl (ket-la-sho-she). The author clearly cares enough about Indigenous voices to recommend Braiding Sweetgrass in her Further Reading section, but she does so in the Neolithic section, and not in a way the recognizes Indigenous people are more than just a footnote in history, they are alive today and probably have many interesting things to say about some of the plants in this book.
- The book does make efforts to bring in more than the average American pop history book, but it still ends up being pretty Euro-centric, with a clear narrative spanning from Mesopotamia through Greece, Rome, Europe, (slight one-chapter detour to China, Vietnam, and Japan to discuss miniature tree pruning traditions), then back to the main story of Europe and specifically England, then on to America and focused on America from 1800s onward. I do give her props for exploring the 1383 Japanese play Hachi no Ki and its cultural impact, as well as going beyond bonsai to explain penjing and Hòn Non Bô. She did such a good job of that, it felt like a disappointment to miss out on other things for the standard historical narratives that focus on everything only as it's relevant to America.
All of this aside, I learned a lot from this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone else caught up in the latest houseplant/gardening trends.
I loved the wealth of practical advice, too. I kept finding little tidbits on plants and techniques I thought I already understood pretty well. I need to remember to thank my librarian friends for putting this up on a springtime display!
The section on the effect of the pandemic on the houseplant industry was eye opening. I'd been caught up in these trends without even really being aware of it, and it was great to get some detailed perspective.
I almost marked this as a medium-paced book but reconsidered that it moved quite fast for a nonfiction historical book.
I took away a star for several reasons, none of which were enough to make me stop reading:
- It would have helped a ton to have illustrations or an insert of photos to go with each plant featurette. I spent so much time googling everything, it kept taking me out of the book.
- It was a little annoying that she kept repeating plants in different chronological sections, with slightly different info, so to get a full read on the ficus or monstera, etc., you would need to reference an index (there isn't one) or get a digital version so you can search for the plant that way.
- While I definitely appreciated her pushing back against Christopher Columbus worship and the colonizer attitudes that led to poaching and deforestation, I kept expecting Williams to go further and was disappointed that the book left out the voices of Indigenous people. It was cool to see the native habitats of all our favorite plants, but there were lots of instances of "this plant was discovered by [white European dude]." One example is poinsettia, which she mentions was named by a US Ambassador to Mexico who found it and named it in 1828. I was hoping she'd mention the Indigenous context: "The Aztecs called poinsettia cuetlaxochitl (brilliant flower) and the Mayans referred to it as k'alul wits (ember flower). These indigenous peoples had a variety of aesthetic, practical, and medicinal uses, as well as magical beliefs for poinsettia." (Quoting from UMass Extension online.) It also would've been interesting to note that Poinsett was a slaveowner and proponent of slavery, he was deeply racist towards Native Americans, and he was so rude and awful to the people of Mexico that they coined the term "Poinsettismo" to refer to terrible intrusive behavior—right before kicking him out. Anyway, I digress, but there's a push towards using the Aztec name instead, Cuetlaxochitl (ket-la-sho-she). The author clearly cares enough about Indigenous voices to recommend Braiding Sweetgrass in her Further Reading section, but she does so in the Neolithic section, and not in a way the recognizes Indigenous people are more than just a footnote in history, they are alive today and probably have many interesting things to say about some of the plants in this book.
- The book does make efforts to bring in more than the average American pop history book, but it still ends up being pretty Euro-centric, with a clear narrative spanning from Mesopotamia through Greece, Rome, Europe, (slight one-chapter detour to China, Vietnam, and Japan to discuss miniature tree pruning traditions), then back to the main story of Europe and specifically England, then on to America and focused on America from 1800s onward. I do give her props for exploring the 1383 Japanese play Hachi no Ki and its cultural impact, as well as going beyond bonsai to explain penjing and Hòn Non Bô. She did such a good job of that, it felt like a disappointment to miss out on other things for the standard historical narratives that focus on everything only as it's relevant to America.
All of this aside, I learned a lot from this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone else caught up in the latest houseplant/gardening trends.
I loved the wealth of practical advice, too. I kept finding little tidbits on plants and techniques I thought I already understood pretty well. I need to remember to thank my librarian friends for putting this up on a springtime display!
Content Warnings
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Colonisation, Classism, Slavery, and Trafficking
dogearedtales's review
5.0
This is a great microhistory of domesticated plants. The author looks like the history of human interaction with cultivating plants and pulls out a few plants as examples. Each section also had tips about modern plants and plant care.
Well written with beautiful illustrations and fun to read. A great gift for anyone who wants to learn more about plants or loves a bit of history about their favorite hobby. I appreciated that the author avoided a Euro-centric history - going to many different countries to see how different cultures have impacted our modern interactions with plants.
Well written with beautiful illustrations and fun to read. A great gift for anyone who wants to learn more about plants or loves a bit of history about their favorite hobby. I appreciated that the author avoided a Euro-centric history - going to many different countries to see how different cultures have impacted our modern interactions with plants.