The Botany of Desire

This is a very Michael Pollan book (how auspicious that someone that writes so well about plants has such a homophone for a last name!). He can't help but write in his own voice, as if he would want to. What that means is that he will charm you with his passion for interweaving natural and human history, often to great effect. For example, he has sections on the Judeo-Christian suppression of psychoactive plants and herbal medicines that works itself into a righteous outrage. There are little gems like that sprinkled through: wild apples in Central Asia, the contrast between bright saturated tulips and monochromatic grey Calvinist Netherlands.

On the other hand, it means that you're in for a lot of mellow Northern-California patrician baby boomer...uh...insight. If that's something that turns you off, you're going to hate this book. Me? I kind of like the boomer duo of counterculture hangover and unselfsonsciously narrow points of reference, so I enjoyed his genial narration.

The parts add up to slightly less than its sum...this is more like a collection of essays on four plants, but if you're interested in natural history, foodways, botany, or interdisciplinary environmental science, have at it. Anyone else can give it a skip.