A farmer cultivates genetically modified potatoes so that a customer at
McDonald's half a world away can enjoy a long, golden french fry. A
gardener plants tulip bulbs in the autumn and in the spring has a
riotous patch of colour to admire. Two simple examples of how humans act
on nature to get what we want.
Or are they? What if those
potatoes and tulips have evolved to gratify certain human desires so
that humans will help them multiply? What if, in other words, these
plants are using us just as we use them? In blending history, memoir and
superb science writing, Pollan tells the story of four domesticated
species - the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato. All four
plants are integral to our everyday lives and Pollan demonstrates how
each has thrived by satisfying one of humankind's most basic desires.
Weaving fascinating anecdote and accessible science, Pollan takes the
reader on an absorbing journey through the landscape of botany and
desire.
It is a journey that will change the way we think about our place in nature
The Botany of Desire : A Plant's-eye View of the World - Michael Pollan
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£11.99