Jen’s review of The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World > Likes and Comments

In defense Pollan is writing about eating and nutrition awareness/problems in..America. He may bring up the world every once in a while but his general audience, focus, and the whole point of his books are Americans and their eating (and what they eat).

Not saying he shouldn't branch out to the study the worlds eating habits but I mean...its meant for America, thats gonna be his main topic you know?

Give it another try! It's a slim book about four plants, so there's not really room for an exhaustive history, and as K.g.B points out, his audience is largely American. There are some really interesting ideas in there, though. And wasn't it cool to learn that Johnny Appleseed basically just predicted where people would settle, planted an orchard, and then waited for folks to show up so he could sell them booze?

I agree with you Jen.
There are interesting facts to be learned.
Boring history and Pollan's opinions are filler I could do without.

I also like for books about apples to talk about apples. I really hate this book.

I learned a lot about apples, and he did venture outside of America for his story. Sounds like a few people just skimmed the book.

I thought the same thing. I'll admit that I didn't finish the book either (and hence didn't rate it), because I expected it to be a lay-science book too, and I was also put off by it being too America centric (at least till the point where I gave up). Will try some other book of his I guess.

I thought the same thing. I'll admit that I didn't finish the book either (and hence didn't rate it), because I expected it to be a lay-science book too, and I was also put off by it being too America centric (at least till the point where I gave up). Will try some other book of his I guess.

At least read the marijuana chapter, that's the most interesting one.

Whatever you think of the book, I think it's unfair to accuse him of being lazy. I don't think you need to insult him to express that the book didn't engage you.

Couldn’t have said it better.
And I think you are within your rights to accuse him of it: he IS lazy by just neglecting the interesting part of the history and this self-adulation when he felt the need to prove to everyone that he’s acquainted with Nietzsche and Greek mythology, relating it to that Appleseed guy, I just wanted to puke.
Worst book experience ever for me honestly. Horrible writing style, that he can’t ever get to the point and just repeats everything all the time, promises something he doesn’t deliver, his laziness in research on some things,.. it’s just bad.

The chapter about apples is the one I enjoyed the least, for the same reasons highlighted by the reviewer (too much time spent on Johnny Appleseed). But I am glad I persisted, as the following chapters were much more enticing. I also agree that there are quite a few repetitions and failures to make a clear point. Pollen’s style got way better over the years and I highly recommend his subsequent books (Omnivore dilemma, cooked).

As someone who loves apples (cultivation more than eating) I totally appreciate the details about Johnny Appleseed, as HE was the vector for the apple to spread and thus adapt (mutate) to the New World, and that was the whole point of the chapter, how the apple used Johnny to spread…