The Botany of Desire

A Plant's-Eye View of the World

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Michael Pollan

The book that helped make Michael Pollan, the New York Times bestselling author of Cooked and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in America

In 1637, one Dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in Amsterdam. Three and a half centuries later, Amsterdam is once again the mecca for people who care passionately about one particular plant—though this time the obsessions revolves around the intoxicating effects of marijuana rather than the visual beauty of the tulip. How could flowers, of all things, become such objects of desire that they can drive men to financial ruin?

In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart of the intimately reciprocal relationship between people and plants. In telling the stories of four familiar plant species that are deeply woven into the fabric of our lives, Pollan illustrates how they evolved to satisfy humankinds’s most basic yearnings—and by doing so made themselves indispensable. For, just as we’ve benefited from these plants, the plants, in the grand co-evolutionary scheme that Pollan evokes so brilliantly, have done well by us. The sweetness of apples, for example, induced the early Americans to spread the species, giving the tree a whole new continent in which to blossom. So who is really domesticating whom?

Weaving fascinating anecdotes and accessible science into gorgeous prose, Pollan takes us on an absorbing journey that will change the way we think about our place in nature.

©2001 Michael Pollan (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"I find this book to be inspirational—curiosity and gentleness of spirit forming genius."—Richard Ford

"Michael Pollan is a sensualist and a wonderful, funny storyteller. He is so engaging that his profound environmental messages are effortlessly communicated. He makes you fall in love with Nature."—Alice Waters

“This book is as crisp as an October apple, as juicy as an August tomato, as long-awaited as the first flower of spring,. Michael Pollan has conceived a new and powerful understanding of who we are, and how we stand in relation to everything else—and the stories he tells to prove the point make the world seem a richer place.”—Bill McKibben, author of Long Distance and The End of Nature

excellent

This is an excellent book to listen to; Michael Pollan reading it makes it that much better! Intriguing storytelling delightfully woven with the author’s amusing thoughts. Not just for plant people!

The most enjoyable listen from Michael Pollans titles so far

Well constructed concepts, interesting facts and ideas and excellent narration. Im going on to my next Michael Pollan title directly.

An Admirable Effort

I admire the effort and passion the author put into this book. At times a bit too “didactic” but I learned quiete a few things and it was a pleasant listening of the audio version.

One of my favorite selections on Audible.

The author does such a wonderful job reading his own book, I can’t recommend this book, and this specific production enough.

Incredibly thought provoking

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It allowed me to look at apples, tulips, cannabis and potatoes from a perspective which I’ve never considered before, and I enjoyed having my eyes opened to this. I admire Michael Pollan’s passion for these topics and the way in which he investigates them.

Great book

Another well presented book, Michael Pollan delivers us a seamless glimpse of our history and relationships with the natural and not so natural world.

A must read for those who want to learn the truth about the food we eat

Great book, great stories, beautifully written. Reveals scary truths but the truths that all people should know! Highly recommend it!

apollonian vs dionysian, conventional vs organic

great perspectives on how plants and humans weave their existence around one another. huge eye opener about the benefits of organic farming.

Fantastic read!

Much like reading has been forever changed by listening to an audiobook where the sound of the words are the narrator’s, in this case the author Michael Pollan, rather than the sound of one’s own voice in your mind when physically reading a book; plants and our food have forever changed from grafts, cloning and genetic engineering. Neither the book, the plant or the person will be the same. Read this book. You’ll be thankful that you did.

Pollan is a fantastic storyteller with a gift for astute observation, as when he describes a midwestern farmer’s “lined” face.., what a vivid image!

Decentering the Human

Really interesting book about restorying our relationship to plants, animals, and other non-human beings. Although the book is now over 20 years old it is extremely prescient. We are in a desperate need of a paradigm shift and I think Pollan is an excellent bridge to such worlds.