The Botany of Desire

The Botany of Desire

"The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World " is a 2001 nonfiction book by journalist Michael Pollan. This work explores the nature of domesticated plants from the dual perspective of humans and the plants themselves. Pollan presents case studies that mirror four types of human desires that are reflected in the way that we selectively grow, breed, and genetically engineer our plants. The apple reflects the desire of sweetness, the tulip beauty, marijuana intoxication, and the potato control.

Pollan narrates his own experience with each of the plants, which he then intertwines with an exploration into their social history. Each section presents an element of human domestication, or the "human bumblebee" as Pollan calls us. The stories range from the true story of Johnny Appleseed to Pollan's first-hand research with sophisticated marijuana hybrids in Amsterdam to the alarming and paradigm-shifting possibilities of genetically engineered potatoes.

Publication data

*Michael Pollan "The Botany of Desire" (2001) Random House, hardcover: ISBN 0-375-50129-0, 2002 paperback: ISBN 0-375-76039-3

External links

* [http://www.npr.org/programs/talkingplants/radio/010604.pollan.html "A Plant's-Eye View Of The World"] interview of Michael Pollan by NPR
* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/conversation/jan-june01/botany_06-29.html "Botany of Desire"] conversation with Michael Pollan on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer June 29, 2001.
* [http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm?book_number=830 Bookbrowse.com] - Summary and reviews
* [http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=QeCra-sn0dI YouTube - Cannabis Forgetting and the Botany of Desire] Berkeley lecture by Michael Pollan.


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