I had certain preferences for parts of this book.

However, after a while, it gave me the impression that I was continuously reading the same content.

Consequently, I decided to put it aside for a period and instead engage in reading the entire Harry Potter series.

Once I picked up this book again, I instantly recalled the reason why I had put it down in the first place.

The repetitive nature of the narrative made it somewhat tiresome to read.

Although there were some interesting elements, they were overshadowed by the feeling of monotony.

Perhaps with some revisions and a more diverse plot development, this book could have been more engaging and held my attention throughout.

As it stands, it failed to maintain my interest for an extended period.

Nevertheless, I still appreciate the efforts put into writing it and hope that future works by the author will offer a more captivating reading experience.

Perfeito.

However, when it comes to the last few chapters, I didn't find them very interesting.

The reason is that I couldn't identify with anything in them.

It seems that the story took a turn that didn't resonate with my personal experiences or emotions.

Maybe the characters' actions and decisions didn't make sense to me, or the plot became too convoluted.

Nevertheless, the overall work was still quite good, and these few chapters didn't completely overshadow its merits.

I still appreciate the author's efforts in creating this story and the world within it.

Perhaps upon a second reading, I might be able to understand and appreciate those last chapters better.

But for now, they remain a bit of a disappointment.

Such sweet garden musings. It truly takes one on a journey through the author's thoughts and experiences in the garden. The section on his Dad vs the lawn mowing fanatics is both entertaining and relatable. It immediately brought to my mind a couple of former neighbors I had. They were always so particular about their lawns, almost to the point of being fanatical. It was quite a sight to see the lengths they would go to in order to have the perfect lawn.

And the worrisomeness of planting a tree also struck a chord with me. I can completely understand the author's concerns. Planting a tree is not just about putting it in the ground and hoping for the best. There are so many factors to consider, such as the right location, the type of soil, and the amount of sunlight it will receive. It made me think of my own attempts at gardening and the challenges I faced.

Overall, this article is a wonderful read that combines humor, reflection, and a love for the garden. It makes me appreciate the beauty and complexity of nature even more.

What a truly delightful book!

How on earth did Michael Pollan manage to pen a memoir about gardening that is not only more poetic than the works of Keats but also more accessible than something like “Gardening for Dummies”? It's truly a remarkable feat.

Pollan's writing voice is incredibly disarming. He presents such wonderful ideas, yet he never comes across as pedantic or dogmatic. In fact, he is just as willing to share his ignorance and mistakes as he is his wisdom and certainties. This makes the book all the more engaging and relatable.

And it almost goes without saying, but this book has truly inspired me to take up gardening. It has filled me with a newfound enthusiasm and a desire to get my hands dirty and create something beautiful in my own backyard.

A personal revolution has been taking place within me.

I've engaged in activities like growing vegetables and moving earth, all in an attempt to appease my inner longing for meaning and order. However, as I delved deeper into this book, I started to feel a sense of validation in my pursuit of a lively relationship with the land.

I've always had a desire for open country and mountain property, but now, through the pages of this book, I can perceive even greater potential in the unpredictable path of gardening.

The book is not only well-written, but it also surprises with how skillfully the narrative is constructed to build into a bird's eye view of our relationship to nature as a species.

It makes me reflect on how we, as humans, interact with the natural world around us and how our connection to the land can bring a sense of fulfillment and purpose.

This newfound understanding has inspired me to continue exploring and nurturing my relationship with the land, and to see where this personal revolution takes me.

This is one of Pollan's earlier books, and it is truly fascinating to observe his early thought processes. His ideas in this work eventually led to his more renowned books such as Botany of Desire (co-evolution). In this particular book, he delves into the world of gardening and explores it as a powerful metaphor.

He challenges the traditional dichotomy between Preserving Nature, which often involves the pretense that we are separate from nature and can isolate it from human influence, and dominating our environment, which assumes we can control it without facing any dire consequences. Instead of fixating on these extremes, Pollan focuses on the fertile boundary between the two. This boundary is rich not only for agricultural purposes but also for the imagination.

Some of his writing is so evocative that it even inspired me to turn it into a poem. For instance, he describes the abandon with which annuals bloom, despite the approaching frost. Additionally, his stories are highly engaging. I am particularly intrigued by what happened to the "Cathedral Pines" preserve in his Connecticut town. It was blown down in 1989 and then left to recover "naturally."

Overall, this book is a great read for gardeners, poets, and thinkers alike. It offers valuable insights and food for thought.

Lovely, uplifting, thoughtful, and funny - these are the words that perfectly describe my favorite audiobook to date. It is an absolute delight to listen to, transporting you to a world of wonder and charm. The narrator's voice is like a gentle breeze, carrying you through the story with ease and grace.

Even though sometimes Pollan waxes a little ridiculously poetic about roses, it only adds to the overall charm of the audiobook. His descriptions are so vivid and detailed that you can almost smell the fragrance of the roses and feel their soft petals against your skin.

Overall, this audiobook is a must-listen for anyone who loves a good story, beautiful language, and a touch of humor. It will leave you feeling uplifted, inspired, and with a newfound appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the world around us.

I really enjoyed listening to this as I was working.

Recently, I've discovered more and more that the natural world holds a special charm and power.

People who are closely connected to it through activities like gardening can attest to its soothing and beneficial effects.

Gardening allows us to interact with nature on a daily basis, whether it's planting seeds, watering the plants, or simply observing their growth.

The beauty and tranquility of a garden can help us unwind and relieve stress, especially during long and tiring days.

It gives us a sense of purpose and accomplishment as we watch our plants thrive and bloom.

Moreover, being in nature can have a positive impact on our mental and physical health.

It can boost our mood, increase our energy levels, and even improve our immune system.

So, if you're looking for a way to add some calm and beauty to your life, consider getting involved in gardening or spending more time in the natural world.

You might be surprised at how much it can enhance your well-being and make your days more enjoyable.

**The Garden and the Gardener: A Review of Michael Pollan's Book**

Written twenty-five years ago, this book remains relevant today as it delves into the history of the garden and gardening. It also offers a contemporary study and self-analysis of the author's one-year experience of creating a garden on his five-acre, old farm in Cornwall, Connecticut, purchased in 1984. Alongside, there are bits of social and cultural commentary. Gardens, as Pollan correctly points out, are a form of self-expression. This is evident on nearly every page of this hundred thousand word "trope" of gardening. Pollan's favorite word, trope/tropism, is used liberally, along with other complex words like perforce, concatenation, palimpsest, hermeneutical, and enjambed.

So, who is Michael Pollan? He is a well-known author and professor of journalism at UC Berkeley. Now sixty years old, he has written several best-sellers and numerous essays. This was his first book. His author photo depicts a soft-spoken, NPRish yuppie, a late-stage wannabee hippie. While his metaphors, language, and self-righteousness can drive some people batty, I actually liked the historical parts of the book. However, I could do without his assumptions, judgments, and perfectionism. He presents himself as an earth-toney, whole-earth being, but doesn't mention his cat until page 302. There's no mention of the fun things like smoking, drinking, or relaxing in his garden. What he does is tell you things about himself, but not very deeply. In short, Pollan's prose and story are flowery, lacking the true grit of real life, but they are still pretty. Spring 2015

One of Pollan's earlier titles, I embarked on reading this book for a very specific reason. This year, for the very first time, I was going to create and take care of my own little 10x10 garden. I thought that having an additional perspective on this endeavor would be truly wonderful.

The book closely follows Pollan's own thoughts and reflections on gardening in America. The central theme that emerges is that in the environmental debate, there are all too often extremes. On one hand, we firmly preserve the "wilderness," while on the other, we bulldoze the forest and build condos. Pollan presents the idea that there should be a greater exploration of the middle ground. A place where nature and culture do not clash but instead work in harmony: a garden. Through this lens, Pollan delves into numerous different issues that are both thought-provoking and engaging. He revisits Thoreau and Emerson, examines American style lawns, and looks at the diverse philosophies of seed catalogs.

This book is a fun and interesting read for anyone who has even the slightest interest in gardening, the wilderness, and our society's perception of environmentalism. It offers valuable insights and a fresh perspective on these important topics.

I found that I enjoyed certain aspects of this book to a greater extent than others. Pollan has done an excellent job of covering a diverse array of topics. For me, the most captivating parts were those that delved into the morality of human interference in nature and the influence of culture and politics on our alteration of the world's landscapes. These themes are of utmost relevance in today's world, as the impact of human activity on our climate continues to intensify. Although it takes Pollan more than half of the book's length to even touch upon this crucial issue, I still discovered a wealth of profound insights in his conclusions.

Regarding the topic of gardening, I now feel more equipped, albeit perhaps more so psychologically than in terms of practical knowledge, to embark on starting my own garden this year. This was my initial encounter with a Michael Pollan book, and I am eagerly anticipating reading more of his works.

His writing style is engaging and thought-provoking, and his exploration of these complex topics has left me with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the natural world and our place within it. I look forward to seeing what other perspectives and ideas he has to offer in his future books.

I am an unapologetic fan of Michael Pollan. Indeed, it might seem odd, but in my eyes, he is equivalent to a rock star or a Hollywood A-lister.

“But Rachel!” you might be thinking, “he's just an ordinary guy! In fact, he's just a bald and bespectacled old college professor!”

Despite these potentially valid points, I place Michael Pollan among the ranks of the elite. So, when I discovered that Michael Pollan published a book about gardening in the early 1990s, I jumped at the chance to catch a glimpse of my favorite author's early years. And, as the book jacket claims, Second Nature is likely to be the most in-depth - and perhaps the only - modern exploration of the mind of a gardener that has been successfully put into print.

In his typical style, Pollan commences this “education” with his own experience as a gardener, reaching as far back as the watermelon of his youth to demonstrate his almost gravitational and entirely instinctive attraction to the act of gardening. Pollan's love for his soil and compost is only marred by a flurry of complex emotions that accompany the domination of nature. Should he erect a fence to keep wildlife out of his garden? Should he pull the weeds or let nature take its course?

I won't reveal the outcome for you. But, suffice it to say, Pollan grapples with his demons and overcomes them, all the while carrying a bushel of lovely organic vegetables under his arm.

Despite my overall admiration for the man, I must admit that the starstruck charm that once held me has worn off a little. While Second Nature does not betray Pollan's inherent strengths - humor, artful prose, knowledge - it is also rife with Pollan's weaknesses - primarily, redundancy and excessive philosophizing. It's unfortunate, but I couldn't even bring myself to read the last 10 pages - partly because I had no idea what he was driving at, and partly because I was afraid I'd doze off trying to figure it out. I simply closed the book and decided to leave it at that.

So, in conclusion, I would say that this is not one of Pollan's better works. It's good, I'm not trashing it. I'm just suggesting that readers focus on his more recent works, which have a much broader appeal and more immediate significance.