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Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart
queer_futomaki's review against another edition
2.0
This book read like a catalog of plants, maybe something was lost in the ebook version. I was hoping for longer stories about the plants and a deeper dive into their history. Each entry was pretty short and read more like a plant ID book than a narrative. I wanted the historical stories about the plants to be deeper, hardly a paragraph was spent tell how plants had killed in the past. It was more like sharing a fun fact than telling a story.
The cover is beautiful and this would make a good coffee table or bathroom book. It suits being pick up for 3 mins to read a single entry without any context. I read it from start to end over a few days and it didn't hold my attention.
The cover is beautiful and this would make a good coffee table or bathroom book. It suits being pick up for 3 mins to read a single entry without any context. I read it from start to end over a few days and it didn't hold my attention.
glitterkitter's review
3.0
What is wrong with people? Why are there so many dangerous plants that people keep around just because they're pretty? If touching the stem causes a rash, maybe it's not the best thing to put in a bouquet!
(Also, there was some not-great wording in some places. Particularly noticeable: saying that tobacco was the reason for American slavery.)
(Also, there was some not-great wording in some places. Particularly noticeable: saying that tobacco was the reason for American slavery.)
lisawreading's review
3.0
An A-Z guide to all sorts of weird and deadly plants. It's interesting, but don't expect a narrative. This is a great little book to leave on your nightstand and randomly open for a page or two.
thebookvvitch's review
4.0
I thought I knew a fair bit about plants – but this had some surprised for me. Worth reading and knowledge is power etc.
wannabekingpin's review
4.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: There’s a certain type of flora everywhere. From mold in the walls, to herbs in the spice cupboard. From houseplants, to the ones we pass outside on daily basis. Some are simply annoying, maybe they smell bad, maybe they taste worse. Others can be absolutely deadly. And again, both kinds are everywhere. So why aren’t we all dying out? Well, for the most part it’s due to how it kills. How many apple seeds it would take to kill you? What are your favorite nuts, and do you know if they’re safe, or what makes them safe for you? Do you enjoy your food spicy?…
My Opinion: An interesting read, nothing mind-blowing, but definitely entertaining. A sort of book on cold blooded killers – plants that can kill or maim with the merest brush to it – and petty criminals – plants whose biggest crime is clinging onto clothes or smelling nasty. Some history, some fine tales, solid.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: There’s a certain type of flora everywhere. From mold in the walls, to herbs in the spice cupboard. From houseplants, to the ones we pass outside on daily basis. Some are simply annoying, maybe they smell bad, maybe they taste worse. Others can be absolutely deadly. And again, both kinds are everywhere. So why aren’t we all dying out? Well, for the most part it’s due to how it kills. How many apple seeds it would take to kill you? What are your favorite nuts, and do you know if they’re safe, or what makes them safe for you? Do you enjoy your food spicy?…
My Opinion: An interesting read, nothing mind-blowing, but definitely entertaining. A sort of book on cold blooded killers – plants that can kill or maim with the merest brush to it – and petty criminals – plants whose biggest crime is clinging onto clothes or smelling nasty. Some history, some fine tales, solid.
paperbacksandpines's review
3.0
This book was packed with various deadly plants. Unfortunately, in an effort to pack as many plants as possible into the book, each plant was 1-2 pages worth of corresponding information, often only a paragraph of text. Because of this, it was difficult to learn much of anything about the plants. There were some interesting anecdotes about plants but most of it wasn't particularly memorable. I learned more about poison in [b:A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie|23848320|A is for Arsenic The Poisons of Agatha Christie|Kathryn Harkup|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422904883l/23848320._SY75_.jpg|43458253] and I wished I had learned more facts about poisonous plants similar to this book.
olicooper's review
2.0
My favorite part was probably the authors instructions: If you suspect that someone has been poisoned by a plant, please do not spend precious time reading this book in search of symptoms or a diagnosis... call the poison control center..." Because well... duh.
I guess I was expecting a bit more on the atrocities end, but mostly this book is a long list of plants, their poisons, and what they do. Which is fine, it just ain't my bag.
Some tidbits I found interesting:
- Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac... only affect humans. Also, reactions get worse after each exposure. Also, this book includes a camper's "test," which seems ridiculously tedious instead of just learning what the heck poison ivy looks like.
- If cats eat your marijuana plant, they could die. Make sure to tell the vet what they actually ate so they can get treated properly.
- There's a plant that will make you slobber... as in buckets. of. slobber.
I guess I was expecting a bit more on the atrocities end, but mostly this book is a long list of plants, their poisons, and what they do. Which is fine, it just ain't my bag.
Some tidbits I found interesting:
- Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac... only affect humans. Also, reactions get worse after each exposure. Also, this book includes a camper's "test," which seems ridiculously tedious instead of just learning what the heck poison ivy looks like.
- If cats eat your marijuana plant, they could die. Make sure to tell the vet what they actually ate so they can get treated properly.
- There's a plant that will make you slobber... as in buckets. of. slobber.
kristirose's review
2.0
The information in this book is very interesting. However, the book itself seemed disorganized. The chapters leap between plants and topics.
jesassa's review
4.0
Fun read! Very well researched! I think most people in my phone book got texts while I was reading this: "did you know Kudzu is a legume?" To the sister traveling to Australia, "stay away from the stinging tree!!!!" Traces of stories in her nonfiction speak well to what you should expect more fully fleshed out in her fiction debut, GIRL WAITS WITH GUN.