I couldn't get into this book at all and gave up reading it after the first chapter.

The premise seemed quite good initially. It had the potential to offer interesting insights and engage the reader.

However, Pollan's writing style was a major turn-off for me. It drove me up the wall.

When he started analogizing Johnny Appleseed and Dionysius, that was the final straw for me. I just couldn't take it anymore.

There was too much navel-gazing in his writing. It felt like he was more interested in his own thoughts and musings rather than presenting solid substance.

The lack of real content made it difficult for me to stay engaged and motivated to continue reading.

In the end, I had to call it quits. It's a shame because the idea behind the book had promise, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

This book was truly incredibly thought provoking. It will make you think about our (human) relationship with food and plants in an entirely new way.

The first chapter, which dealt with apples and the desire for sweetness, in my opinion, focused too much on Jonny Appleseed. While he was indeed an important figure, I quickly got bored and instead wanted to know more about the worldwide history and appeal of the apple.

Thankfully, the rest of the sections were much better. My favorite was the one about the potato, although the tulip section was also fabulous. After reading about Pollan's encounters with mass-potato farmers in Idaho, if you aren't already buying organic potatoes, you will surely want to.

Started on January 15, 2009, and finished on January 24, 2009, this book provided a fascinating exploration of the often overlooked aspects of our food and plant world. It made me realize how much we take for granted and how important it is to understand the true nature of what we consume.

Not as good as the Omnivore's Dilemma, but definitely worth a read if you love thinking about plants as much as I do.

The first section, on apples, was really dry (to me). Actually, it's less about apples and more about John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) and I just... don't... care about him. Right, great, he planted lots of apples, we get it, he's a hometown hero. But for me, this part didn't really capture my attention.

The rest is pretty well done, though. I especially loved the section on cannabis. I harbour a lot of curiosity as to how psychotropic plants and humans have co-evolved, and why exactly certain plants have developed those mechanisms, and how we humans came to have a neurology that happened to respond to those plants' chemicals. So that was extremely engrossing. It made me think deeply about the complex relationship between plants and us.

Tulips also held my interest pretty aggressively, for similar reasons. The subject of why we even like and are drawn to things as seemingly useless (evolutionarily speaking) as flowers is fascinating. It's much easier to know without having to read a book that apples or potatoes and humans have fed off one another in time. Tulips are a little bit more intriguing. They make us wonder about the mysteries of our own preferences and attractions.

I like Pollan's dry humour but also his rich curiosity, but I suspect that when he wrote this book, what was really on his mind was his next book. The section on potatoes is essentially a short verse of the Omnivore's Dilemma. In the Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan seemed more enthusiastic about the material and more concerned with the topic (not that he isn't here, but he really hits his stride there). It makes me eager to see what he will explore next in his writing.

What if we humans are being manipulated by plants to serve their desires?

From this slightly creepy flipped perspective, masterful storyteller Michael Pollan illuminates the crazy and complex interdependency of living things. He also reveals some of the dangers we inflict on ourselves and our entire world by contemporary agricultural practices through four captivating stories - those of the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato.

Pollan admits the conceit of manipulative plants is a bit of a stretch, but it's a fascinating way to see how we and our favorite foods, flowers, and intoxicants are co-evolving.

The potato's story turned out to be the most interesting and important, and the best showcase of Pollan's skills as an investigative journalist, interviewer, and experimental gardener.

Who knew Monsanto scientists created genetically engineered potato plants with a "gene gun"? This story contained the most intelligent and nuanced discussion of genetic modification of foods, with input from numerous scientists and farmers.

Pollan also explored the advantages and dangers of monoculture, colonial commodity agriculture, chemical versus organic agriculture, and the effects of food culture on farming.

He clearly loves to grow and eat potatoes, which may have given this story its extra glow.

The apple's story was also especially captivating, with the mysterious Johnny Appleseed spreading seeds not for lunchbox treats but for alcohol in the wilds of Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Although the MJ story was a bit dated in 2001, all four stories are still surprising and fascinating, combining investigative journalism, personal experimentation, and wild imaginative speculation.

In East Asian cultures, as my increasingly Japanese daughters inform me, the number four is considered to bring bad luck. This is because it sounds somewhat similar to the word for death. However, it is clear that the number four holds no such associations for Michael Pollan.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma is centered around four meals, and this particular work is based around four plants. I have not only enjoyed these two books but have been completely enchanted by them, while also being informed and highly amused.

Now, the word "desire" might seem a strong one to use in relation to botany. There is, of course, that Frank Zappa song Call Any Vegetable, and it will respond to you. I believe this is also the song that ends with the memorable line, "O what a pumpkin!"

Pollan's four plants are the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. As a former Irishman, I have no issue with the potato being on the list of plants of desire, but I can understand that others might struggle with its inclusion.

This book is based on the idea that plants use us as much as we use them. The plants that are best able to meet our desires are the ones we help to spread around the world. So much so that we tend to create monocultures of those plants that best match our desires, which is arguably both a boon and a problem for the plants.

Do you know that feeling when you sort of know the story of something, even if you don't quite know the details? I had that kind of relationship with the story of Johnny Appleseed (aka John Chapman). While I had some idea of him going around frontier America planting apple seeds, I never really thought of him as being on the same level as, say, Daniel Boone. Little did I know that instead of being a man dedicated to the random distribution of apple seeds, he actually sold apple trees to pioneers. Pioneers were eager to buy these apple trees not because of the supposed dental health benefits but rather due to the shortage of bartenders. Apples were a good way to make a pleasant alcoholic drink, and one that wasn't criticized in the Bible.

It is here that Pollan develops one of his major metaphors, borrowed from Nietzsche, of the dichotomy between the Apollonian and the Dionysian. I have generally found this to be one of the more lucid and intelligent things Nietzsche ever said, and I wasn't disappointed that so much time was devoted to this idea in this book. Basically, Apollo was the god of order and light, while Dionysus was the god of wine and orgies. Our obsession with growing the same potato all over the world to make the perfect McDonald's fry is symbolic of the Apollonian desire, while Johnny Appleseed growing apple trees from seed and getting a vast number of genetically different trees is symbolic of the Dionysian.

This central tension forms a large part of the basis of the book. It also proves to be an interesting concept when applied to tulips and, obviously, marijuana. I guess it's possible that if Dionysus were with us today, he might well be a pot head. The section on marijuana is very interesting, particularly the fact that it has become about 10 times more potent over the years, and this increase in potency is directly attributable to the "war on drugs." Pollan makes an interesting case for the idea that if the US government hadn't spent billions of dollars imprisoning its citizens and fighting a war it could never win, pot would still be coming into the States from Mexico and wouldn't have been bred to be the super drug it is today. Pollan says that his initial reaction to smoking pot was similar to mine, which was that its main effects seemed to be to make me feel paranoid and stupid. Having been brought up in the loony left, I really didn't need chemistry to help me be paranoid or stupid. Apparently, this is because when I did smoke pot, I was smoking "blue collar" marijuana, which is probably for the best.

Again, as with the apples and the tulips, I knew much of the story of marijuana before I started reading, but not all of the details. The story of tulips causing a major economic bubble is worth reflecting on at the moment. The plants themselves are equally fascinating, as are the little facts gleaned along the way about depression and plant viruses.

But the section on the potato is riveting, and not just for the Irish. This is similar to the first section of The Omnivore’s Dilemma on corn. We really are going to have to do something about the way we produce food, and if you need to know why, then reading this chapter will make it all clear. If the only way we can grow potatoes for McDonald's fries is to kill the planet, then perhaps we shouldn't be eating McDonald's fries.

I think I liked The Omnivore’s Dilemma better than this one, but really, they were both fascinating and well worth the read.

I always learn interesting things from Pollan’s writing. His works are not only informative but also highly engaging. I think he’s just downright fun to read.

However, I suspect some of the writing about plant genetics in his earlier works might be a bit outdated by now. With the rapid advancements in the field of genetics, new research and discoveries have emerged. Similarly, his concern about GMO food might also need to be reevaluated in light of the latest scientific studies.

Despite these possible drawbacks, Pollan is great at presenting both sides to issues. He presents a balanced view, allowing the readers to form their own opinions. He avoids preaching and instead encourages critical thinking. I truly appreciate his sense of humor and humility, which make his writing even more enjoyable.

In conclusion, while Pollan’s works may have some areas that are in need of updating, his unique writing style and ability to present complex issues in an accessible way make him a highly respected author. I look forward to reading more of his works in the future.

An interesting book on the human-nature relationships,

the author elaborates on how common plants have been domesticated. By making use of sexual and asexual propagation and selection techniques, high yielding crops have been produced or varieties that are more visually or gustatorily appealing have been generated.

I, personally, was quite fond of the sections on apples and potatoes. However, I found the chapters on tulips and marijuana less captivating. The last section, which explains the practice and risks of mono-culture as well as the processes of genetics manipulation employed by large corporations like Monsanto, was both fascinating and alarming.

It gets a 3.5 stars rounded down because I found the repetition of the Apollo-Dionysus metaphor irritating and pretentious in its tone.

Favorite Quotes:

There is another word for this extremist noticing—this sense of first sight unencumbered by knowingness, by the already-been-theres and seen-thats of the adult mind—and that word, of course, is wonder. … Memory is the enemy of wonder.

Psychiatrists regard a patient’s indifference to flowers as a symptom of clinical depression. It seems that by the time the singular beauty of a flower in bloom can no longer pierce the veil of black or obsessive thoughts in a person’s mind, that mind’s connection to the sensual world has grown dangerously frayed.

This is one of those books that has been sitting on my To Be Read stack for a long time. I have read a later book by Pollan, namely "In Defense of Food," which I liked very much. Finally, I got around to reading this book published in 2001. I have to say that in the past 20 years, I have shifted more towards a vegetarian diet and have developed a greater appreciation for plants than I had when I was young. As Pollan points out, people and domesticated plants have developed a reciprocal relationship. We are not merely exploiting them; we have benefited them as they have benefited us, at least certain species anyway.

I was most intrigued by the author's section on marijuana. As he notes, the war on drugs actually led to the evolution of a powerful new plant that became widespread throughout the USA, including Alaska. This plant found the right combination of genes to adapt to new environments, especially for indoor growth. Potency has increased; THC levels formerly ranged from 2 to 3%. After the start of the war on drugs, THC is now up to 20%. It would be fascinating to see an update on marijuana, now known as cannabis, since its legalization in several states...

Pollan also writes about three other plants that have had a major impact on humans: the apple, the tulip, and the potato. The section on apples focuses on the folk hero Johnny Appleseed. In his era, there was a bewildering variety of apple types. Since the early 20th Century, "the free market" has dictated the reduction of the apple's variability. It was decided to simplify the market by planting and promoting only a few brand-name varieties, with a uniform redness being regarded as its most important quality. And, as Pollan would add, there is a uniform blandness. Fortunately, Johnny Appleseed passed away in Indiana and didn't live to witness what happened to his apples.

The situation is the same with potatoes. Pollan supports biodiversity and is not pleased with our corporate-driven monoculture agriculture. In the case of potatoes, he also examines the genetically modified potatoes that have been developed. Can we be so certain that there will be no long-term negative impacts on health and the environment?

The section on tulips deals with the incredible irrationality of the free market as he recounts the story of Tulipomania, surely one of the strangest stories in all of history! Speculation about an exotic flower (at that time) in Holland led to one of the first great "bubbles" in economic history, which ultimately ruined a large number of people. As he writes, "It probably never occurred to Dr. Adriaen Pauw, the Dutch burgher who owned eleven twelfths, or twelve thirteenths, of the world's population of Semper Augustus tulips, that those tulips in some sense owned him--that he'd devoted the better part of his life to increasing their numbers and happiness. But the tulipomania he unwittingly helped fuel was an inestimable boon to the genus Tulipa, which may be said to have had the last laugh. Its fortunes, at least, have been on the rise in the world ever since the Dutch burghers lost their fortunes because of it."

Every book that does not approach evolution with the eyes of natural sciences is a disappointment. Or we can say that reading the books written about evolution by non-natural scientists is meaningless, I think.

Did plants evolve us or did we evolve them? How can our interaction with nature be exactly explained from an evolutionary perspective? The author's answer: In the first part, the glorification of a man who is claimed to have the American dream and pedophile tendencies through apples. The second part: When talking about the mania of tulips, the talk turns to communism. The third part: What you expected from marijuana and its proximities. However, in the last part where the potato is dealt with, what is told seems to serve the purpose of the book a little. The most interesting information and explanations about the relationship between evolution - nature - human - genetics were in this part.

The starting point of the book is very interesting but the result is unsuccessful. The author has drifted from the language of poets to the language of interviews and then to the coldness of academic language in terms of the narrative language. The name of the book is misleading and I could not reconcile it with what is told. Especially from the perspective of the part where marijuana is described, it is a book that is quite behind in terms of scientific and social developments. This part needs to be updated.

I didn't like it and I wouldn't recommend it to those who ask for my opinion.

One of the best nonfiction books I've ever read is "The Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan.

This book offers a unique and fascinating perspective on the relationship between humans and plants. Pollan explores how four common plants - apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes - have shaped human history and culture.

He delves into the desires that drive us to cultivate and interact with these plants, whether it's the desire for beauty, pleasure, sustenance, or power. Through engaging storytelling and in-depth research, Pollan uncovers the hidden world of plants and their impact on our lives.

"The Botany of Desire" is not only a captivating read but also a thought-provoking exploration of the complex web of relationships that exist between humans and the natural world. It challenges us to think about our own desires and how they influence our actions and decisions.

If you're interested in nature, history, or simply a good read, I highly recommend this book. You can find it at https://elifthereader.com/books/the-botany-of-desire-michael-pollan/ in English and http://kitaplikkedisi.com/kitaplar/arzunun-botanigi-michael-pollan/ in Turkish.

Wow! Just wow!

This was yet another museum book club selection from our Minneapolis Institute of Art. Although I have a liking for Michael Pollan, it's highly improbable that I would have read this captivating book otherwise. Even the description gave the impression that it might not be to my taste. Boy, was I ever wrong!

Pollan examines four human desires and four plants that fulfill those desires to explore the mutual dependence of humans and plants. The desires/plants are Sweet/Apple, Beauty/Tulip, Intoxication/Cannabis, and Control/Potato. He shatters the myth of Johnny Appleseed, reveals how Tulipomania was the tech bubble of 17th-century Dutch society, explains how cannabis induces the crystal-clear state experienced by users and how it differs from other drugs, and illustrates the historical folly of man's pursuit to industrialize food production by creating botanical mono-cultures. My suspicion is that after reading this, you'll never consume a commercially grown potato again!

Pollan concludes that while humans believe in our ultimate domination over plants, plants have an equal impact on the destiny of mankind. Biodiversity is his premise, and the story he tells to persuade us of this will remain with me for a very long time.

Reading Pollan's work is truly a unique experience. It feels as if you are engaged in a conversation with him in the most laid-back and comfortable setting. As you progress through the text, you find yourself not only delving into the realm of science but also having moments of lighthearted amusement when you come across his clever comments placed strategically within parentheses. Pollan is an exceptionally talented non-fiction writer. His first-person style is one of the key elements that make his work so accessible and enjoyable. It allows the reader to easily connect with the subject matter and feel as if they are right there with Pollan, exploring the world of food. In this particular book, he takes the concept of food to a whole new level by personifying the foods described. He presents them as our partners, not just in consumption but in life itself. This innovative approach adds a new dimension to the reading experience and makes us view food in a completely different light.