Oct 25, 2011 michael pollan presented his lecture as the 20022003 avenali chair in the humanities at the townsend center for the humanities, uc berkeley. The botany of desire by michael pollan 306pp, bloomsbury. Pollan was born to a jewish family on long island, new york. In 1637, one dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in. I had it sit in my library of blinks for a while, thinking it had something to do with how plants influence sex, for example explaining aphrodisiacs. In this book, well see how plants manipulate humans by taking advantage of our four basic desires for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control, and how, in turn, we help plants reproduce and even grow stronger. In it, author michael pollan explores human impulse and its. Okay, okay, books by michael pollan are clearly a fad right now, but i have. The new york times pollan has a wideranging intellect, an eager grasp of evolutionary biology and a subversive streak that helps him to root out some wonderfully counterintuitive points. I didnt even know when i started this that he was a real historical figure, by john chapman. Each, by offering some quality that we humans find valuable, has managed to propagate itself throughout the world. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of how to change your mind, cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in america every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers. Author pollan takes us on a journey through history, botany, and the human psyche through examination of four plants the apple, tulip, marijuana, and potato.
In the botany of desire, pollan explores the concept of coevolution. Michael pollan s 2001 nonfiction book, the botany of desire. The botany of desire received the borders original voices award for the best nonfiction work of 2001, and was recognized as a best book of the year by the american booksellers association and. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in america in 1637, one dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the. The botany of desire 2001 explores the complex and fascinating relationship between humans and plants. A plantseye view of the world paperback may 28, 2002. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores dilemma, one of the most trusted food. Apple is one of the first trees that has been cultivated and maintained through grafting by people. He is the son of author and financial consultant stephen pollan and columnist corky pollan. The only complaint i have about the botany of desire is that the title is misleading. Michael pollan promises a plants perspective of the world in the botany of desire and delivers a book about human nature. Chan arts lecturer and professor of practice of nonfiction at harvard university. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores 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.
Well, michael pollan, and the name of the book is the botany of desire. A plantseye view of the world by michael pollan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A plantseye view of the world is a 2001 nonfiction book by journalist michael pollan. Michael pollans the botany of desire tells the story of four familiar plantsthe apple, the tulip, the marijuana plant, and the potatoand the human desires that link their destinies to our.
He writes about how humans have affected the evolution of plants and in turn plants have affected our evolution as well. Michael pollan is an author who teaches journalism at the uc berkeley. Oct 28, 2009 directed by michael schwarz, edward gray. The botany of desire, to be broadcast on wednesday on many public television stations, is based on michael pollans 2001 examination of plant history and evolutionary science. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the botany of desire. The following is a transcript of a conversation between michael pollan, the author of the botany of desire, and michael schwarz, the producerdirector of the film. Oct 25, 2009 the botany of desire, to be broadcast on wednesday on many public television stations, is based on michael pollans 2001 examination of plant history and evolutionary science. 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 humankindss most basic yearnings and by. In the botany of desire, michael pollan asks, did we cultivate plants, or did they cultivate us. A plantseye view of the world kindle edition by pollan, michael.
An interesting book about the symbiosis between all living organism and how charles darwins evolutionary theory of natural selection is happening. Recurring themes through the book are how plants benefit from encouraging human attention, and the dangers of monoculture, especially how modern man has taken the diversity available in nature and severely. Michael pollan presented his lecture as the 20022003 avenali chair in the humanities at the townsend center for the humanities, uc berkeley. Inverting the natural tendency to believe that people are somehow outside of nature, he asserts that plants manipulate our desires to help them survive and proliferate that we are, in essence, rendered human bumblebees. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Michael pollan, a professor of journalism and a student of food, presents the history of four plants, each of which found a way to make itself essential to humans, thus ensuring widespread propagation. Pbs premiered a twohour special documentary based on the botany of desire in fall 2009. Pollan is also the author of a place of my own 1997. The botany of desire by michael pollan minutes read. Michael pollans 2001 nonfiction book, the botany of desire. The main characters of this non fiction, science story are. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 297 pages and is available in paperback format. Michael pollan is a professor of journalism at the university of california at berkeley, a contributing writer for the new york times, and a bestselling author of witty, offbeat nonfiction that examines various aspects of the agricultural industry, the food chain, and mans place in the natural world.
The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of how to change your mind, cooked and. He masterfully links four fundamental human desiressweetness, beauty, intoxication, and controlwith the plants that satisfy them. Well, johnny appleseed, in a way, hes kind of a pagan patron saint of the book. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of how to change your mind, cooked and the. The botany of desire by michael pollan 1462 words 6 pages. Michael pollan is arguably our most prominent writer on food policy, most notably in defense of food, food rules, and the omnivores dilemma. 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 humankindss most basic yearnings and. The book that helped make michael pollan, the new york times bestselling author of cooked and the omnivores 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. In 1985 henry hobhouse published an important and original piece of historical writing. A plantseye view of the world, asks the reader to stop considering only the human point of view of nature and to take the perspective of the plants themselves. Reviews of the botany of desire april 30, 2001 pollan shines a light on our own nature as well as our implication in the natural world.
This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on the botany of desire by michael pollan. The first edition of the novel was published in 2001, and was written by michael pollan. In the botany of desire, michael pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart. Recurring themes through the book are how plants benefit from encouraging human attention, and the dangers of monoculture, especially how modern man has taken the diversity available in nature and severely limited. Michael pollan books list of books by author michael pollan. 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. May 31, 2002 the botany of desire by michael pollan 306pp, bloomsbury. In the botany of desire, michael pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship.
The botany of desire pdf summary michael pollan 12min blog. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the botany of desire. In the botany of desire, michael pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart of the intimately reciprocal relationship between people and plants. Pollan a place of my own, 1997 uses four plant species to support his thesis. Those books crystallized americas healthrelated diet issues, explaining the infinite processing of foods made in factories, the absence of diet. Featuring michael pollan and based on his bestselling book, this special takes viewers on. In his book michael pollan focuses on four plants that has been under artificial selection by humans for quite different functions such as sweetness apple, beauty tulip, intoxication cannabis and high calorie content potato.
The botany of desire pdf summary whenever we think of ourselves as humans, we think of ourselves as subjects or the ones that can influence everything. The botany of desire, by michael pollan essay 946 words. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires, sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control, with the plants that satisfy them. In 1985 henry hobhouse published an important and original piece of. He is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed the omnivores dilemma as well. Apr 09, 2018 michael pollan is an author who teaches journalism at the uc berkeley. Inverting the natural tendency to believe that people are somehow outside of nature, he asserts that plants manipulate our desires to help them survive and proliferate that we are, in essence.
Pollan is also professor of journalism at the uc berkeley graduate school of journalism. The text, usually categorized as a nature and gardening book, presents the argument that four plants have shaped human evolution at least to the same extent that humans have shaped those plants evolution. 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 humankindss most basic yearningsand. In the novel, the botany of desire, michael pollan tells the intriguing story of how plants are domesticated from the perspective of the plant with regards to four specific plants the four plants he chose. In 1985 henry hobhouse published an important and original piece of historical writing called seeds of change. Pollan presents case studies that mirror four types. No, they domesticated us as much as we domesticated them. Very interesting book about the interrelationship between people and plants.
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