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David A. Taylor

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Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.davidataylor.org

Twitter

dataylor1

Genre

History, Fiction, Science

Influences

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... ...more

Member Since

April 2009

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Twenty years after the publication of my first book, Ginseng, the Divine Root, I’ve been revisiting the story that led me into the forests of the Appalachians and into a hidden economy of plant harvesting and poaching.
What began as a story about a medicinal root prized on two continents has, over time, connected to a wider exploration related to environmental crime, global demand for natural resources, and the pressures on forests and communities.
My recent work, including articles in Smithsonian magazine and Scientific American, has revisited those themes. It suggests that the dynamics that I found in the ginseng trade and the people who follow it have grown even more relevant.

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David A. Taylor’s books

Average rating: 3.94 · 260 ratings · 51 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Soul of a People: The WPA Writers' Project Uncovers Depression America 4.03 avg rating — 87 ratings — published 2009 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II 3.96 avg rating — 73 ratings — published 2018 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ginseng, the Divine Root: The Curious History of the Plant That Captivated the World 3.60 avg rating — 62 ratings — published 2006 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The War of 1812 and the Rise of the U.S. Navy by David A. Taylor (Goodreads Author), Mark Collins Jenkins, Douglas Brinkley (Foreword) 4.33 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Success: Stories 4.17 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tall Ship Odysseys: The Official Operation Sail Fifty Year Anniversary Commemorative Pictorial History of the World's Greatest Windship Gatherings by David A. Taylor (Goodreads Author), Mark Leon Collins (Goodreads Author), Mark Collins Jenkins really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	BY Taylor, David A ( Author ) [{ Success: Stories [ SUCCESS: STORIES ] By Taylor, David A ( Author )Oct-15-2008 Paperback By Taylor, David A ( Author ) Oct - 15- 2008 ( Paperback ) } ] 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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by Andrew Leland

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The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music

by Colin Asher (Goodreads Author)

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Circe

by Madeline Miller (Goodreads Author)

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David Taylor started reading The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight by Andrew Leland	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13 hours, 55 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Taylor rated a book it was amazing Road Longer Than Memory by Melanie McCabe (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is truly a page-turner, a compelling mystery about the bonds of love and how the past resurfaces and shapes us in the present. The main character is complicated and completely believable. I followed her choices with suspense and totally enjoyed ...more
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David Taylor rated a book really liked it Go Gentle by Maria Semple	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17 hours, 17 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Go Gentle by Maria Semple. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Go Gentle by Maria Semple <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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David Taylor rated a book it was amazing Teeth: Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America by Mary Otto	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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David Taylor started reading Circe by Madeline Miller (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 28, 2026 07:06PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Circe by Madeline Miller. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Circe by Madeline Miller <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Taylor rated a book it was amazing A New Deal for Quilts by Janneken Smucker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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“When you want to touch the reader's heart, try to be colder. It gives their grief as it were, a background, against which it stands out in greater relief.”
― Anton Chekhov

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