Around the World in 80 Plants

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Did you know that vanilla has been done dirty by becoming synonymous with "boring" when it's really one of the most truly exquisite flavors around? As with much of the natural world, the more one learns about the individual plant species and the stories that tell of our interactions with them-whether positive or negative-the more intriguing they become. The 1 or 2 page stories about each plant are very accessible, interesting and intriguing, telling the stories about the history of the plant, where it is found and why it has evolved to be a certain way.

Yes, the factual science portion is in here, complete with Latin names and etymology and words like "stamen" and "inflorescence" and even the occasional "secretions. I'm very tempted to travel to some of these countries to find them and see if I can apply my new knowledge. Op het einde geeft Jonathan Drori de lezers nog handige tips om op een nieuwe manier naar planten te kijken, om je bewondering aan te wakkeren. Ik kijk nu vol bewondering naar de ogenschijnlijk eenvoudige paardenbloem (Taraxacum officinale) die in Estland wordt gevierd met een heus paardenbloemenfestival. Some of the unusual and strange facts will be completely new and fascinating to even very expert plants people.While the pictures in this are utterly beautiful, and the facts are fun, the organization of this book felt scattered and unfocused, and plants were often listed for one country when they were native to another part of the world which irritated the pedantic side of me.

I loved the writing style and interesting information about each plant - I often stopped to read a few sentences to my husband, or made sure to share some of it with him later. Apart from telling us all about the plant's quirks, Drori also sometimes adds a slightly cynical or critical note about humans and the way we treat or have been treating the plants in question, not in the least because that behaviour threatens our own lives, or all life on our precious planet. An exquisite follow up to his Around the World in 80 Trees, Drori is the David Attenborough of the plant world, sharing his immense fascination and love of plants with any who are lucky enough to listen. Not only a key component in the food chain but also carbon sequestration in amounts far beyond what the land-based plants can provide.Like a curious but discerning alchemist, the author has distilled a wealth of information concerning the examples chosen, which are an eclectic mix of both well-known and lesser-known plants. Dandelion - the latex/white sap has been used to manufacture rubber tires since World War II and a specific variety of Russian dandelion gives high yield. It's a weird little aversion, and maybe it's from that time I pet a cactus as a child and learned what "regret" meant, but regardless of the reason, it's a thing for me.