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Well, that escalated quickly.

This is the second book by Dan Jones that I've read so far; the first was The Plantagenets. I really like his writing style. The book is funny, it's detailed, it provides a nice overview of the events related to the crusades in Mediterranean and in Europe up until 14th century. He discusses the causes, the consequences, the context. I also appreciate how Jones focuses on portraying the people involved. One of my (many) favourite stories is about the famous daughters of Baldwin II: Melisende the Ruler of Jerusalem, Alice, Hodierna, and Ioveta.

I read this book right after “The Nature of Plants” by Craig Huegel, and it was the best accidental combo. Huegel taught me all the basics and explained carefully what plants are made of and how they generally function, and Candeias was more about all the cool things that plants can do and their role in ecosystems. As a result, I've already subscribed to Candeias Instagram, and I'm looking forward to listening to his podcast.

An epitome of “show, don't tell”. As much as the other six books were fun page-turners, this one felt like a monotonous slog to get through.

As someone who managed to kill a cactus, I knew virtually nothing about plants when I started this book. It was an amazing read: well written, very well structured, and well narrated. The last chapters (about seeds, plant hormones and plant communication) were especially interesting. The book is packed with information, and I'll probably reread it a couple of times in the future.