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ISBN 9780375760396 (0-375-76039-3, 0375760393)

The Botany of Desire : A Plant's-Eye View of the World

by Michael Pollan

ISBN 0375760393 (0-375-76039-3)
Softcover, Random House Inc

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Book summary:

Working in his garden one day, Michael Pollan hit pay dirt in the form of an idea: do plants, he wondered, use humans as much as we use them? While the question is not entirely original, the way Pollan examines this complex coevolution by looking at the natural world from the perspective of plants is unique. The result is a fascinating and engaging look at the true nature of domestication.

In making his point, Pollan focuses on the relationship between humans and four specific plants: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. He uses the history of John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) to illustrate how both the apple's sweetness and its role in the production of alcoholic cider made it appealing to settlers moving west, thus greatly expanding the plant's range. He also explains how human manipulation of the plant has weakened it, so that "modern apples require more pesticide than any other food crop." The tulipomania of 17th-century Holland is a backdrop for his examination of the role the tulip's beauty played in wildly influencing human behavior to both the benefit and detriment of the plant (the markings that made the tulip so attractive to the Dutch were actually caused by a virus). His excellent discussion of the potato combines a history of the plant with a prime example of how biotechnology is changing our relationship to nature. As part of his research, Pollan visited the Monsanto company headquarters and planted some of their NewLeaf brand potatoes in his garden--seeds that had been genetically engineered to produce their own insecticide. Though they worked as advertised, he made some startling discoveries, primarily that the NewLeaf plants themselves are registered as a pesticide by the EPA and that federal law prohibits anyone from reaping more than one crop per seed packet. And in a interesting aside, he explains how a global desire for consistently perfect French fries contributes to both damaging monoculture and the genetic engineering necessary to support it.

Pollan has read widely on the subject and elegantly combines literary, historical, philosophical, and scientific references with engaging anecdotes, giving readers much to ponder while weeding their gardens. --Shawn Carkonen [via]

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ISBN 9780671639617 (0-671-63961-7, 0671639617)

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The Field Guide to Home Buying in America: A Home Buyer's Companion from House Hunting to Moving Day

by Mark Levine, Michael Pollan , Stephen Pollan

ISBN 0671639617 (0-671-63961-7)
Softcover, Fireside

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Book summary:

Buying a home is probably the single most important investment people ever make. But once you understand the process, much of the fear will vanish. And the joy of owning your own home and putting down roots offers security and satisfaction. Stephen Pollan walks first-time buyers through the whole process, from house hunting to moving day. He has seen the whole picture as a lawyer, broker, banker, and financial adviser. He, Mark Levine, and Michael Pollan show you how to: search for a location and learn how to evaluate it assemble your team: broker, lawyer, contractor, accountant, inspector, and insurance broker make sure your team serves you, not just the deal itself use the tactics of negotiating, including offers, increments, what to say, and when and where to say it examine the contract in detail-what to look for and what to insist on choose the right bank for your mortgage, straighten out credit difficulties and potential objections prepare, practice, and plan for the "mysterious ritual" of closing or settling on a house. "The Field Guide to Home Buying in America" teaches you to be your own best expert and makes home buying a joyous and rewarding experience. [via]

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The Field Guide to Home Buying in America: A Home Buyer's Companion from House Hunting to Moving Day: ISBN 0671639617 (0-671-63961-7)
Softcover, Fireside

Four Square Meals : The Omnivore's Dilemma

by Michael Pollan

ISBN 0747586756 (0-7475-8675-6)
Softcover, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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Four Square Meals : The Omnivore's Dilemma: ISBN 0747586756 (0-7475-8675-6)
Softcover, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

ISBN 9780143038580 (0-14-303858-3, 0143038583)

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The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

by Michael Pollan

ISBN 0143038583 (0-14-303858-3)
Softcover, Penguin Group USA

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One of the New York�Times Book�Review's Ten Best Books of the Year Winner of the James Beard Award Author of #1 New York Times Bestsellers In�Defense of Food�and Food Rules Today, buffeted by one food fad after another, America is suffering from what can only be described as a national eating disorder. Will it be fast food tonight, or something organic?�Or perhaps something we grew ourselves?�The question of what to have for dinner has confronted us since man discovered fire. But as Michael Pollan explains in this revolutionary book, how we answer it now, as the dawn of the twenty-first century, may determine our survival as a species. Packed with profound surprises, The Omnivore's Dilemma is changing the way Americans thing about the politics, perils, and pleasures of eating. Coming from The Penguin Press in 2013, Michael Pollan's newest book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation--the story of our most trusted food expert's culinary education� "Thoughtful, engrossing ... You're not likely to get a better explanation of exactly where your food comes from." -The New York Times Book Review "An eater's manifesto ... [Pollan's] cause is just, his thinking is clear, and his writing is compelling. Be careful of your dinner!" -The Washington Post "Outstanding... a wide-ranging invitation to think through the moral ramifications of our eating habits." --The New Yorker "If you ever thought 'what's for dinner' was a simple question, you'll change your mind after reading Pollan's searing indictment of today's food industry-and his glimpse of some inspiring alternatives.... I just loved this book so much I didn't want it to end." -The Seattle Times � [via]

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The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals: ISBN 0143038583 (0-14-303858-3)
Softcover, Penguin Group USA

The Omnivore's Dilemma : The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World

by Michael Pollan

ISBN 0747586837 (0-7475-8683-7)
Softcover, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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The Omnivore's Dilemma : The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World: ISBN 0747586837 (0-7475-8683-7)
Softcover, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

A Place of My Own

by Michael Pollan

ISBN 0517398753 (0-517-39875-3)
Hardcover, Random House Value Publishing

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A Place of My Own: ISBN 0517398753 (0-517-39875-3)
Hardcover, Random House Value Publishing

ISBN 9780385319904 (0-385-31990-8, 0385319908)

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A Place of My Own : The Education of an Amateur Builder

by Michael Pollan

ISBN 0385319908 (0-385-31990-8)
Softcover, Dell Pub Co

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Book summary:

Michael Pollan's A Place of My Own might be suspiciously viewed by some readers as a text begging for interpretation. What is it that causes this man at midlife to attempt to put up a structure, an actual wood and concrete dwelling, where he can work on his own craft away from his domestic life? Arguably, Pollan's intentions are more transparent than a too clever postmodern audience can easily appreciate. The author of this fine, well-crafted book offers an explanation that seems honest and understandable: "Whenever I heard myself described as an 'information service worker' or a 'symbolic analyst,' I wanted to reach for a hammer, or a hoe, and with it make something less virtual than a sentence."

In Pollan's bestselling book Second Nature: A Gardener's Education, he illustrated his facility with both hoe and pen. In A Place of My Own he hefts the hammer and again records with great intelligence how thoroughly thought and reflection can be woven into our common lives and the patterns of a day's work. His book's subtitle, "An Education of an Amateur Builder," captures much of what this book contains: the lessons learned by a diligent student of architecture, design, and construction. The writing contains no gaps or unsightly seams, and it's full of clues to readers who share a similar desire to build something tangible in a world that prizes the evanescent. [via]

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