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yosemite_spins's review against another edition
4.0
It took about a year to read this book, probably because every time I picked it up I thought to myself how much I would have preferred to read a blog about the topic. It is not that it is not well written, for the past week I have been consistently dreaming about potatoes, it is just a bit much to try to swallow this much opinionated non-fiction in one sitting.
aruejohns's review against another edition
5.0
This book has been on my to-read list for a while now, and when I received it as a gift a few weeks ago I was eager to get started. And boy, do I wish I had read it earlier. This book not only explores the human-plant relationships that I had hoped for, but also sheds light on humanity and what makes us - ourselves and our societies - tick. This was one of the rare books that I devoured ferociously, but also paused to really consider the consequences of. I may not agree with all of Pollan's conclusions (I haven't decided yet), but they are certainly thought-provoking and worth considering for all of us - gardeners as well as anyone who interacts with plants.
lauderbaugh's review against another edition
4.0
The sections on pot and potatoes were easily the best.
ogreart's review against another edition
5.0
This was highly entertaining as well as very informative. A little history, a little science, what's not to like?
culinaryjules's review against another edition
4.0
3.5⭐️ rounded up
Fascinating book. Excellently written. I don’t agree on all points, but it was amazing to learn about these four crops.
Fascinating book. Excellently written. I don’t agree on all points, but it was amazing to learn about these four crops.
cnvair's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
This book is showing its age in terms of some of the language used and some broad generalizations about the continent of Africa, but it's an intriguing premise and a fascinating lens through which to examine human development.
The writing has its ups and downs. The reconstruction of Johnny Appleseed as a Dionysian mythical figure was an interesting exercise, but the chapter on tulips felt uneven and took a long time getting anywhere. The chapter on weed was fun and thought-provoking, but certainly the most effective and important writing was done on the parallels of the Irish potato famine and our monoculture-dependent society. Pollan's examination of corporate ownership and biotech feels just (if not more) relevant than when he wrote this 20 years ago.
The writing has its ups and downs. The reconstruction of Johnny Appleseed as a Dionysian mythical figure was an interesting exercise, but the chapter on tulips felt uneven and took a long time getting anywhere. The chapter on weed was fun and thought-provoking, but certainly the most effective and important writing was done on the parallels of the Irish potato famine and our monoculture-dependent society. Pollan's examination of corporate ownership and biotech feels just (if not more) relevant than when he wrote this 20 years ago.
jimmacsyr's review against another edition
5.0
Very good book. How specific plants benefit from our intervention. Also how uniformity causes problems. Goes into lots of background information on social/economic issues that drove the interest in the plants discussed.
cynthiatainsh's review against another edition
5.0
This was so interesting- I learned a lot of things that I had never thought about before. The author writes so intriguingly about plants and has such a great imagination, while presenting some remarkable facts. Most of all, I started to get a picture of some of the possible consequences when mankind starts interfering with nature's ways.
judeamorris's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, so I've read it more than once, ditto with viewing the PBS film by the same name. Absolutely gorgeous, fascinating piece of work.