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. What is pollans main point in chapter 2 of the botany of desire. Each, by offering some quality that we humans find valuable, has managed to propagate itself throughout the world. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 297 pages and is available in paperback format. He uses case examples that fit the archetype of four basic human desires, demonstrating how each of these botanical. The botany of desire, by michael pollan essay 946 words. The botany of desire brings michael pollans bestselling book to pbs, showing how human desires are an essential, intricate part of natural history. He is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed the omnivores dilemma as well. Based on the 2001 book of the same name and directed and produced by michael schwarz, the botany of desire is as faithful a tv adaptation as tv adaptations come. A plantseye view of the world by michael pollan introduces the possibility to the reader that plants are using insects, animals and humans to ensure their own survival. These plantsthe apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potatoare linked with four human fundamental desires. The first one is that, as you know, i write about plants.
Chapter one in the botany of desire by michael pollan, desire. The botany of desire by michael pollan 1462 words 6 pages. It was your love of that work that decided me, and now i blame you for my pollan obsession. This chapter starts by having the reader picture themselves on the banks of the ohio river watching two hollowed out logs drift along. Michael pollan s bestselling book, botany of desire, is now a film, and you can watch it online, courtesy of pbs. 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.
Apr 03, 2014 autoplay when autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. In 1985 henry hobhouse published an important and original piece of historical writing called seeds of change. 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 every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers. What is pollan s main point in chapter 2 of the botany of desire.
The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the. Chan arts lecturer and professor of practice of nonfiction at harvard university. Whenever i take questions from an audience, which i hope to do when i finish speaking, there s always someone who. Michael pollan is an author who teaches journalism at the uc berkeley. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the botany of desire. The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers genes far and wide.
In the botany of desire, pollan makes a persuasive case that the plants we might be tempted to see as having been most domesticated by humanity are in fact also those that have been most effective in domesticating us. 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. In the botany of desire, pollan explores the concept of coevolution, specifically of humankinds evolutionary relationship with four plantsapples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoesfrom the dual perspectives of humans and the plants. As with the other chapters in this book, pollan uses history and descriptions of. A plantseye view of the world ebook written by michael pollan.
The botany of desire pdf summary michael pollan 12min blog. Botany of desire by michael pollan district of columbia. Through the lens of a plants perspective, michael pollans book, the botany of desire, explains how plants have become domesticated by alluring the human desires of sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control. A new literary classic, second nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere. Michael pollan presented his lecture as the 20022003 avenali chair in the humanities at the townsend center for the humanities, uc berkeley.
The main characters of this non fiction, science story are. The botany of desire 1 cannabis, forgetting, and the botany of desire michael pollan i want to get a couple things about myself out of the way before i start. Pollan a place of my own, 1997 uses four plant species to support his thesis. 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. Cannabis, the importance of forgetting, and the botany of desire duration. The first edition of the novel was published in 2001, and was written by michael pollan. It then goes into the story of johnny appleseed or john chappman. Their potion recipes called for such things as datura, opium poppies, belladona, hashish, flyagaric mushrooms amanita muscaria, and the skin of toads which can contain dmt, a powerful hallucinogen. Its a neatly organized book that covers four plants the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato which have changed and been changed by people. A plantseye view of the world by michael pollan online at alibris. A plantseye view of the world kindle edition by pollan, michael. In his articles and in bestselling books such as the botany of desire, michael pollan has established himself as one of our most important and beloved writers on modern mans place in the natural world. 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 botany of desire by michael pollan overdrive rakuten.
He masterfully links four fundamental human desiressweetness, beauty, intoxication, and controlwith the plants that satisfy them. 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. An interesting book about the symbiosis between all living organism and how charles darwins evolutionary theory of natural selection is happening. Reviews pollan shines a light on our own nature as well as our implication in the natural world. 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. Featuring michael pollan and based on his bestselling book, this special takes viewers on an eyeopening exploration of the human relationship with the plant world, seen from the plants point of. All four plants are integral to our everyday lives and pollan demonstrates how each has thrived by satisfying one of humankinds most basic desires. Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers. A plantseye view of the world new edition by pollan, michael isbn. 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. The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers.
Michael pollans 2001 nonfiction book, the botany of desire. 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. In these blinks, 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. The film takes you inside our relationship with the plant world, and shows how four familiar species the apple, the tulip, cannabis and the potato evolved to satisfy our yearnings for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control. It is a stunning insight, and no one will come away from this book without having their ideas of nature stretched and challenged. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the botany of desire. Erudite, engaging and highly original, journalist pollans fascinating account of four everyday plants and their coevolution with human society challenges traditional views. In the botany of desire, michael pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart of the intimately reciprocal relationship between people and plants. Erudite, engaging and highly original, journalist pollan s fascinating account of four everyday plants and their coevolution with human society challenges traditional views about humans and nature. Michael pollan promises a plants perspective of the world in the botany of desire and delivers a book about human nature. In the botany of desire bestseller, that was named a best book of the year by borders, amazon, and the american booksellers association, michael pollan. Film version of michael pollans botany of desire now online. Autoplay when autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next.
Michael pollans bestselling book, botany of desire, is now a film, and you can watch it online, courtesy of pbs. Witches and sorcerers cultivated plants with the power to cast spells in our vocabulary, psychoactive plants. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. As with the other chapters in this book, pollan uses. The botany of desire was a great first choice as an introduction to michael pollans work. A plantseye view of the world is a 2001 nonfiction book by journalist michael pollan. He masterfully links four fundamental human desiressweetness, beauty, intoxication and controlwith the plants that satisfy them. In it, author michael pollan explores human impulse and its connection to the life of plantsour desire for the apples sweetness, the tulips beauty, the intoxication of marijuana and our desire to control nature by producing the perfect genetically. Oct 28, 2009 based on the 2001 book of the same name and directed and produced by michael schwarz, the botany of desire is as faithful a tv adaptation as tv adaptations come. Apr 09, 2018 the botany of desire pdf summary by michael pollan tackles the history of plants and how they have used and continue using their powers to appeal to basic human desires, and as a result, reproduce and spread all around the world. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires, sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control, with the plants that satisfy them. 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. Weaving fascinating anecdote and accessible science, pollan takes the reader on an absorbing journey through the landscape of. Documentary on pollans the botany of desire sfgate.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the botany of. The botany of desire by michael pollan waterstones. 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. He writes about how humans have affected the evolution of plants and in turn plants have affected our evolution as well. The apple malus domestica if you happened to find yourself on the banks of the ohio river on a particular afternoon in the spring of 1806somewhere just to the north of wheeling, west virginia, sayyou would probably have noticed a strange makeshift craft drifting lazily down the river. Weaving fascinating anecdote and accessible science, pollan takes the reader on an absorbing journey through the landscape of botany and desire. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The new yorker we can give no higher praise to the work of this superb science writerreporter than to say that his new book is as exciting as any youll read. The botany of desire 2001 explores the complex and fascinating relationship between humans and plants.
A plantseye view of the world by michael pollan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dec 01, 20 through the lens of a plants perspective, michael pollans book, the botany of desire, explains how plants have become domesticated by alluring the human desires of sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control. The botany of desire a plantseye view of the world. The only complaint i have about the botany of desire is that the title is misleading. The botany of desire brings michael pollan s bestselling book to pbs, showing how human desires are an essential, intricate part of natural history.