Book
The botany of desire : a plant's eye view of the world
Record details
- ISBN: 9780375760396
- ISBN: 0375760393
- ISBN: 9780375501296 (alk. paper)
- ISBN: 0375501290 (alk. paper)
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Physical Description:
xxv, 271 p. ; 25 cm.
print - Publisher: New York : Random House, c2001.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (p. [247]-256) and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Desire, sweetness : plant, the apple -- Desire, beauty : plant, the tulip -- Desire, intoxication : plant, marijuana -- Desire, control : plant, the potato. |
| Summary, etc.: | An Idaho farmer cultivates Russet Burbank potatoes so that a customer at a McDonald's half a world away can enjoy a long, golden French fry. A gardener plants tulip bulbs in the fall and, come spring, has a riotous patch of color to admire. Two straightforward 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? Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and in the process spreads the flowers' genes far and wide. What Pollan demonstrates is that people and domesticated plant species have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship, a relationship that is just as common and essential to the way nature works. In a narrative that blends history, memoir, and science writing, Pollan tells the story of four domesticated species--the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato--from the point of view of the plants. All four species are deeply woven into the fabric of our everyday lives, and Pollan illustrates how each has evolved a survival strategy based on satisfying one of humankind's most basic desires. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Apples Tulips Marijuana Potatoes Human-plant relationships |
Available copies
- 35 of 35 copies available at Bibliomation. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Booth & Dimock Library - Coventry.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 35 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booth & Dimock Library - Coventry | ANF 304.27 POL (Text) | 33260000127838 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
