Bedford Audubon Book Club: The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan

Curious minds and lively thinkers are welcome at our next Book Club meeting. The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan is our choice for discussion. This bestselling work explores the nature of domesticated plants from the dual perspective of humans and the plants themselves. Pollan presents case studies that mirror four types of human desires that are reflected in the way that we selectively grow, breed, and genetically engineer our plants. (The apple reflects the desire for sweetness, the tulip for beauty, marijuana for pleasure, and the potato for sustenance.) The author genially narrates his own experience with each of the plants, which he then intertwines with their social history. For a further peek at this book and the author's novel perspective, visit www.librarything.com/work/410 . PBS recently re-aired “The Botany of Desire,” a program about Michael Pollan and the book. See www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/ for more information about the program. Please contact Elizabeth Royston by email at jroys516@aol.com with any questions and with your intention to attend.