#38: The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan books seem to be all the rage these days so I decided to take a look into his socio-organic world. When I started reading I developed the annoying habit that often comes when reading non-fiction, I looked at my friends and continually asked “Did you know that…”. Learning about the basic history of some of the simplest plants and food did not seem inviting at first, but Pollan writes in a manner that grabs attention from the get go. The four chapters of the book discuss apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. All of these plants have had a profound effect on our country’s history, but also the way in which we look at nature. It also, interestingly enough, shows what we like and what we don’t. I bought this book used and the only chapter with notes in the margin was the one about marijuana. So what did I take from the book? I now have an appreciation for the evolution of nature in the sense that it is has grown to accommodate us even as we continuously find ways to break it down. I’ll probably pick up another Pollan book this year, but on the other hand I’ll probably also eat some McDonald’s french fries. So we’ll see how that goes…