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Darwins Most Wonderful Plants
Most of us think of Darwin at work on The Beagle, taking inspiration for his theory of evolution from his travels in the Galapagos. But Darwin published his Origin of Species nearly thirty years after his voyages and most of his labours in that time were focused on experimenting with and observing plants at his house in Kent. He was particularly interested in carnivorous and climbing plants, and in pollination and the evolution of flowers.Ken Thompson sees Darwin as a brilliant and revolutionary botanist, whose observations and theories were far ahead of his time - and are often only now being confirmed and extended by high-tech modern research. Like Darwin, he is fascinated and amazed by the powers of plants - particularly their Triffid-like aspects of movement, hunting and 'plant intelligence'.This is a much needed book that re-establishes Darwin as a pioneering botanist, whose close observations of plants were crucial to his theories of evolution.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published November 1, 2018
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341 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 4, 2019
Tldr: amazing content but writing switches between scientific and more informal. Would have been better if the author stuck to one style, but still a really enjoyable and informative read!
Overall, this book is good. I think for individuals with a botanical interest but not necessarily highly educated in those concepts would really enjoy this. As someone who has studied biology at university level for four years the explanations of biological concepts were a little lacking and sometimes I felt I could explain these concepts better than the author, but, for those with a more casual interest in the topic could really enjoy this book! It’s a good introduction to the complexities of plants and what makes them so important in science. However, the book is not perfect and there are some flaws I noted.
The author, when confused by concepts being explored, simply stated that he didn’t understand them and gave his best attempt at summarising them. This aspect of the writing annoyed me; if he was unsure of a concept but knew it was necessary for the book then why did he not seek experts on these subjects to further his understanding? By stating his uncertainty it creates doubt in the other theories he discusses in the book. The author is apparently a plant biologist so I feel that he should have the appropriate contacts to aid in his understanding of confusing concepts!
I also did not enjoy how self-inserting the author was in the work. As a non-fiction book which explores the work of Darwin and the related modern discoveries I feel like he should not be heavily inputting personal opinions and experiences. The writing, when not using first person, was highly enjoyable and read like a more down-to-earth and humorous scientific paper. I wish that this had been consistent throughout the book instead of skipping between scientific writing and first person.
There was occasional formatting errors (such as no spaces between full stops and the next word), but nothing that hinders the read.
The use of modern scientific papers to elaborate on points was great! As a biologist it was great to have actual papers I could go to read later included. This critical analysis was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book in my opinion, and highlighted the authors scientific background.
Overall, this book is good. I think for individuals with a botanical interest but not necessarily highly educated in those concepts would really enjoy this. As someone who has studied biology at university level for four years the explanations of biological concepts were a little lacking and sometimes I felt I could explain these concepts better than the author, but, for those with a more casual interest in the topic could really enjoy this book! It’s a good introduction to the complexities of plants and what makes them so important in science. However, the book is not perfect and there are some flaws I noted.
The author, when confused by concepts being explored, simply stated that he didn’t understand them and gave his best attempt at summarising them. This aspect of the writing annoyed me; if he was unsure of a concept but knew it was necessary for the book then why did he not seek experts on these subjects to further his understanding? By stating his uncertainty it creates doubt in the other theories he discusses in the book. The author is apparently a plant biologist so I feel that he should have the appropriate contacts to aid in his understanding of confusing concepts!
I also did not enjoy how self-inserting the author was in the work. As a non-fiction book which explores the work of Darwin and the related modern discoveries I feel like he should not be heavily inputting personal opinions and experiences. The writing, when not using first person, was highly enjoyable and read like a more down-to-earth and humorous scientific paper. I wish that this had been consistent throughout the book instead of skipping between scientific writing and first person.
There was occasional formatting errors (such as no spaces between full stops and the next word), but nothing that hinders the read.
The use of modern scientific papers to elaborate on points was great! As a biologist it was great to have actual papers I could go to read later included. This critical analysis was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book in my opinion, and highlighted the authors scientific background.
December 30, 2018
A fascinating exploration of Darwin's botany - an area of Darwin's work that most of us don't know about but which was crucial to his theories of evolution. Thompson whisks us through six and a half of Darwin's books on plants (half because the other half covered animals too), looking at the plants that amazed Darwin and the current research that builds on Darwin's work.
It's clear from Thompson's writing that he finds these plants just as wonderful as Darwin did, and that passion is infectious - I'm tempted to shift careers and become a botanist, because as this book makes clear, there is still so much to discover.
It's clear from Thompson's writing that he finds these plants just as wonderful as Darwin did, and that passion is infectious - I'm tempted to shift careers and become a botanist, because as this book makes clear, there is still so much to discover.
October 4, 2020
Thompson's dry wit and good illustrations make for a great, quick read. Charles Darwin sounds like a legendary botanist--a lot of questions he raised about evolution in certain plant species are still trying to be answered by modern science.
Funny, short, and has lots of cool plants that make venus fly traps seem normal.
Funny, short, and has lots of cool plants that make venus fly traps seem normal.
December 9, 2024
Overall enjoyed but some parts are oversimplified, and at the other end of the spectrum some parts are left entirely scientific. I would have preferred a middle ground throughout. Despite this, a very interesting read.
May 24, 2022
I enjoyed this so much! It's full of interesting botanical stuff, both around Darwin's research and how it fits with modern botanical knowledge. Honestly, I had no idea botany even now involves so many hands-on macro-scale experiments nor how much we still don't know about plants!
The experiments described in this book are so interesting and kind of hilarious to imagine the researchers doing them.
Growing a monstera in a box to see if it will keep growing towards the darkest point if it hits a roof!
Painting stakes different colours to see if that's how morning glory can 'see'!
Why do sunflowers rotate?
The author has a wonderfully wry humor in the way he writes that had me chuckling constantly. I would love to read more nerdy botany books by this author.
The experiments described in this book are so interesting and kind of hilarious to imagine the researchers doing them.
Growing a monstera in a box to see if it will keep growing towards the darkest point if it hits a roof!
Painting stakes different colours to see if that's how morning glory can 'see'!
The morning glories much preferred to climb maize, and they really didn't like black, with the other colours somewhere in between. The researcher thought that the plants might be influenced by the total amount of light reflected by potential supports, or by the wavelengths of light reflected, but found no evidence for either hypothesis, and thus retreated, baffled. Morning glory obviously knows what it's doing, even if we don't know how it knows.
Why do sunflowers rotate?
If you confuse a sunflower by rotating it through 180 at night, it carries on regardless, only re-coordinating with the sun after several days of facing the wrong way. It also doesn't look like the flower itself is all that important; if you decapitate a sunflower, the stump continues to turn. But leaves are necessary - remove them and movement stops.
The author has a wonderfully wry humor in the way he writes that had me chuckling constantly. I would love to read more nerdy botany books by this author.
July 12, 2019
Enlightening, not too brief and wonderfully clear. It gives a standard context of Darwin's botanical work and what he showed keen interest for. Also showing that the author is a passionate gardener himself.
October 30, 2020
It took me a while to get into this book but I'm not sure on the reason, maybe the topics of the first chapters, while they are highly interesting, didn't reach me as much as the later ones. I got about a quarter of the way through and then left it alone for a couple of months. When I took it up again I found it really interesting. It gives a brief backgrounder on Darwin's books on botany and plants and highlights salient points. Although Charles Darwin was not a botanist he was, in his day, a highly regarded naturalist, being extremely observant and meticulous in his studies of aspects of plant growth and behavior that he found interesting. Topics such as climbing plants, why the same species produces two or more types of flower on the same plant, the contrivances which plants develop to ensure cross-fertilization, carnivorous plants etc or &c. as he expressed it. I gave this book five stars and it will send me off to find Darwin's botanical writings for a more full understanding which I think is this author's intention.
June 9, 2025
Super recomendable para toda persona que le interese las fascinantes adaptaciones que pueden llegar a tener las plantas.
La mayoría de gente que he visto ponerle 4 estrellas se queja de que es muy simple o casual pero.... es que si fueran los 20 volumenes de Darwin no os lo habríais leído, verdad?
Creo que da un amplio abanico desde donde investigar por tu cuenta si te interesa alguna de las especies mencionadas. Me parece que con solo ver el grosor del libro sabes que no va a ir a fondo con los datos científicos y esa es su mejor baza, te da lo suficiente para que te interese y quieras buscar fotos, artículos o videos.
La mayoría de gente que he visto ponerle 4 estrellas se queja de que es muy simple o casual pero.... es que si fueran los 20 volumenes de Darwin no os lo habríais leído, verdad?
Creo que da un amplio abanico desde donde investigar por tu cuenta si te interesa alguna de las especies mencionadas. Me parece que con solo ver el grosor del libro sabes que no va a ir a fondo con los datos científicos y esa es su mejor baza, te da lo suficiente para que te interese y quieras buscar fotos, artículos o videos.
December 20, 2019
for me, who don't know at all about Darwin or plants,, this book is beautifully written. it is easy to read and understand (English is not my first language). it is said in this book that Darwin frequently answered questions he himself frequently asked. i found it as a good sign to know more about Darwin.
December 6, 2018
Fascinating book exploring Darwin's love of botany and his botanical research. Written in an easy, enthusiastic style this book is an effortless and informative read for botanists and non-botanists alike.
December 26, 2021
The best book I read this year. Beautifully articulated. Those who are not necessarily familiar with botany are still able to understand the concepts put forth by Ken due to well illustrated examples.
September 15, 2019
Menunggu datang
October 16, 2020
A wonderfully interesting and informative book that both illuminates and celebrates Darwin's lifelong obsession and (sadly little known) studies of plants.
November 17, 2020
Bitkiler hakkında bilinmeyenler için çok güzel bir kitap
July 5, 2022
Bir dahi nasıl düşünür, nasıl çalışır, nasıl bir tutkuya sahiptir, çalıştığı konuya nasıl sevdalanır... Hepsi bu kitapta, Darwin olağanüstü üstü biri...
June 14, 2024
Good overview of plant biology! It wasn’t excessively captivating but I enjoyed it.
January 9, 2025
Ufuk açıcı, ancak çeviri sebebiyle İngilizce orijinal versiyonu okusam daha mı iyi olurdu derken buldum kendimi sürekli.
August 25, 2020
I feel like I took a whirlwind tour through the fertile mind of Charles Darwin and his fascination with carnivorous plants and twining vines. Ken Thompson uses some essays Darwin wrote in the 1860s-1870s to illustrate the breadth and reach of Darwin's botanical studies. You may think you know Darwin for his theories of natural selection, but he also asked plenty of questions about the plants in his own garden. It's a very readable scientific treatise - don't be hesitant. The quotes from Darwin's actual essays are downright charming: "Whenever I have found it necessary to give numerous details, in support of any proposition or conclusion, small type has been used. The reader will, I think, find this plan a convenience, for, if he does not doubt the conclusion or care about the details, he can easily pass them over." Ok, so he lets me skip to the good parts with impunity!
Darwin and I are both fascinated by vines; why and how do they twine? Yes, they are seeking the light, but I never realized those tiny tendrils are turning thirty or more revolutions as they wind upward in a "continuous bowing movement directed successively to all points of the compass." What a poetic book. I looked at my garden differently after reading about Darwin's obsessions with his own garden at Downs. The guy raised fifty-four varieties of gooseberry alone! I loved his ability to completely immerse himself in a question and study it until every angle was explored. Thompson reminded me that, "One of Darwin's favourite techniques was to overwhelm potential critics with a mountain of empirical evidence." Aha! That, I understand. Thompson's writing is conversational and he really brings Darwin to life for me: "I have a sneaking suspicion that Darwin had a soft spot for the more 'active' carnivorous plants...Darwin was never happier than when feeding his sundews with all manner of stuff to see what would make them react and what wouldn't." And to think that botany was only his hobby!
Darwin and I are both fascinated by vines; why and how do they twine? Yes, they are seeking the light, but I never realized those tiny tendrils are turning thirty or more revolutions as they wind upward in a "continuous bowing movement directed successively to all points of the compass." What a poetic book. I looked at my garden differently after reading about Darwin's obsessions with his own garden at Downs. The guy raised fifty-four varieties of gooseberry alone! I loved his ability to completely immerse himself in a question and study it until every angle was explored. Thompson reminded me that, "One of Darwin's favourite techniques was to overwhelm potential critics with a mountain of empirical evidence." Aha! That, I understand. Thompson's writing is conversational and he really brings Darwin to life for me: "I have a sneaking suspicion that Darwin had a soft spot for the more 'active' carnivorous plants...Darwin was never happier than when feeding his sundews with all manner of stuff to see what would make them react and what wouldn't." And to think that botany was only his hobby!
September 19, 2020
Çok akıcı yazılmış, ilginç bilgiler içeriyor ama beni aşıyor.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews