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A review by cnvair
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
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.