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Second Nature
- A Gardener's Education
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
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Second Nature
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A Place of My Own
- The Architecture of Daydreams
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
With this updated edition of his earlier book, A Place of My Own, listeners can revisit the inspired, intelligent, and often hilarious story of Pollan’s realization of a room of his own—a small, wooden hut, his “shelter for daydreams” — built with his admittedly unhandy hands. Inspired by both Thoreau and Mr. Blandings, A Place of My Own not only works to convey the history and meaning of all human building, it also marks the connections between our bodies, our minds, and the natural world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By Ryan on 2023-01-27
Written by: Michael Pollan
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Cooked
- A Natural History of Transformation
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 40
In Cooked, Pollan discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer. Each section of Cooked tracks Pollan’s effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements.
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3 out of 5 stars
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he must be getting paid by the word
- By A on 2021-03-30
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
The Botany of Desire
- A Plant's-Eye View of the World
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
In 1637, one Dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in Amsterdam. Three and a half centuries later, Amsterdam is once again the mecca for people who care passionately about one particular plant—though this time the obsessions revolves around the intoxicating effects of marijuana rather than the visual beauty of the tulip. How could flowers, of all things, become such objects of desire that they can drive men to financial ruin?
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Throughly enjoyed it!
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-19
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
This Is Your Mind on Plants
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 348
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 287
Of all the things humans rely on plants for - sustenance, beauty, medicine, fragrance, flavor, fiber - surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate or calm, fiddle with or completely alter, the qualities of our mental experience. Take coffee and tea: People around the world rely on caffeine to sharpen their minds. But we do not usually think of caffeine as a drug, or our daily use as an addiction, because it is legal and socially acceptable.
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2 out of 5 stars
-
Basically just a trip report.
- By Jade on 2022-09-01
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
The Omnivore's Dilemma
- A Natural History of Four Meals
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 215
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 183
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 180
"What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another, this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Plenty of food for thought
- By Snow Walker on 2021-04-15
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany
- Written by: Catherine Kleier, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Catherine Kleier
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
Dr. Catherine Kleier invites us to open our eyes to the phenomenal world of plant life and to the process she calls “Natura Revelata”, the joy of celebrating and learning from the secrets of nature. As Dr. Kleier shares her knowledge with contagious excitement for her subject, she emphasizes the middle ground: Instead of focusing on cell microbiology or the study of ecosystems and habitats, she stresses the basic biology, function, and the amazing adaptations of the plants we see all around us.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Warning: does not come with pdf
- By Rafe on 2021-05-26
Written by: Catherine Kleier, and others
-
A Place of My Own
- The Architecture of Daydreams
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
With this updated edition of his earlier book, A Place of My Own, listeners can revisit the inspired, intelligent, and often hilarious story of Pollan’s realization of a room of his own—a small, wooden hut, his “shelter for daydreams” — built with his admittedly unhandy hands. Inspired by both Thoreau and Mr. Blandings, A Place of My Own not only works to convey the history and meaning of all human building, it also marks the connections between our bodies, our minds, and the natural world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic
- By Ryan on 2023-01-27
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
Cooked
- A Natural History of Transformation
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 40
In Cooked, Pollan discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer. Each section of Cooked tracks Pollan’s effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
he must be getting paid by the word
- By A on 2021-03-30
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
The Botany of Desire
- A Plant's-Eye View of the World
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
In 1637, one Dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in Amsterdam. Three and a half centuries later, Amsterdam is once again the mecca for people who care passionately about one particular plant—though this time the obsessions revolves around the intoxicating effects of marijuana rather than the visual beauty of the tulip. How could flowers, of all things, become such objects of desire that they can drive men to financial ruin?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Throughly enjoyed it!
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-19
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
This Is Your Mind on Plants
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 348
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 287
Of all the things humans rely on plants for - sustenance, beauty, medicine, fragrance, flavor, fiber - surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate or calm, fiddle with or completely alter, the qualities of our mental experience. Take coffee and tea: People around the world rely on caffeine to sharpen their minds. But we do not usually think of caffeine as a drug, or our daily use as an addiction, because it is legal and socially acceptable.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Basically just a trip report.
- By Jade on 2022-09-01
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
The Omnivore's Dilemma
- A Natural History of Four Meals
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 215
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 183
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 180
"What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another, this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Plenty of food for thought
- By Snow Walker on 2021-04-15
Written by: Michael Pollan
-
Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany
- Written by: Catherine Kleier, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Catherine Kleier
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
Dr. Catherine Kleier invites us to open our eyes to the phenomenal world of plant life and to the process she calls “Natura Revelata”, the joy of celebrating and learning from the secrets of nature. As Dr. Kleier shares her knowledge with contagious excitement for her subject, she emphasizes the middle ground: Instead of focusing on cell microbiology or the study of ecosystems and habitats, she stresses the basic biology, function, and the amazing adaptations of the plants we see all around us.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Warning: does not come with pdf
- By Rafe on 2021-05-26
Written by: Catherine Kleier, and others
-
In Defense of Food
- An Eater's Manifesto
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 74
Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it? Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion—most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American Paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we see to become.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Some good messages but very preachy
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-10-20
Written by: Michael Pollan
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Restoration Agriculture
- Real-World Permaculture for Farmers
- Written by: Mark Shepard
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
The restoration agriculture system described in this award-winning book works! It is possible for humans to produce staple foods using perennial agricultural ecosystems that actually improve the quality of the environment. This can be done on a backyard, farm, or ranch scale and is needed right now - on a global scale. Restoration Agriculture explains how we can have all of the benefits of natural, perennial ecosystems and create agricultural systems that imitate nature in form and function while still providing for our food, building, fuel, and many other needs.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Changed the way I will grow my food for ever!
- By Philippe on 2020-12-19
Written by: Mark Shepard
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Folks, This Ain't Normal
- A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World
- Written by: Joel Salatin
- Narrated by: Joel Salatin
- Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 91
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 79
From farmer Joel Salatin's point of view, life in the 21st century just ain't normal. In Folks, This Ain't Normal, he discusses how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very informative.
- By Fully Completely on 2019-08-09
Written by: Joel Salatin
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Gathering Moss
- A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses
- Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites listeners to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful voice
- By Tanya on 2020-10-06
Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
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Food Rules
- An Eater's Manual
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 1 hr and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 25
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Eating doesn't have to be so complicated. In this age of ever-more elaborate diets and conflicting health advice, Food Rules brings welcome simplicity to our daily decisions about food. Written with clarity, concision, and wit that has become best-selling author Michael Pollan's trademark, this indispensable handbook lays out a set of straightforward, memorable rules for eating wisely, minute by minute, accompanied by a concise explanation.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Fine, but overlaps In Defence of Food
- By Watsn on 2020-07-01
Written by: Michael Pollan
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Entangled Life
- How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
- Written by: Merlin Sheldrake
- Narrated by: Merlin Sheldrake
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 366
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 301
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Story5 out of 5 stars 301
When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very cool
- By Zac on 2020-12-13
Written by: Merlin Sheldrake
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The Garden Jungle
- Or Gardening to Save the Planet
- Written by: Dave Goulson
- Narrated by: Dave Goulson
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3
The Garden Jungle is about the wildlife that lives right under our noses, in our gardens and parks, between the gaps in the pavement and in the soil beneath our feet. Wherever you are right now, the chances are that there are worms, woodlice, centipedes, flies, silverfish, wasps, beetles, mice, shrews and much, much more, quietly living within just a few paces of you.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable, and connectable.
- By Tonya Nicole Hunte on 2021-05-26
Written by: Dave Goulson
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How to Change Your Mind
- What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,496
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,295
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,285
When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Educational, enlightening, and optimistic.
- By Bryar C on 2018-05-31
Written by: Michael Pollan
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Celtic Mythology
- Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes
- Written by: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 48
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4 out of 5 stars 39
Most people have heard of the Celts - the elusive, ancient tribal people who resided in present-day England, Ireland, Scotland and France. Paradoxically characterized as both barbaric and innocent, the Celts appeal to the modern world as a symbol of a bygone era, a world destroyed by the ambition of empire and the spread of Christianity throughout Western Europe. Despite the pervasive cultural and literary influence of the Celts, shockingly little is known of their way of life and beliefs, because very few records of their stories exist.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Too many cut Corners
- By Ruadraiodoir on 2023-05-04
Written by: Philip Freeman
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The Molecule of More
- How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity - And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race
- Written by: Daniel Z. Lieberman MD, Michael E. Long
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 152
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 153
In The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present a potentially life-changing proposal: Much of human life has an unconsidered component that explains an array of behaviors previously thought to be unrelated, including why winners cheat, why geniuses often suffer with mental illness, why nearly all diets fail, and more.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Life Changing
- By Chaz on 2020-04-30
Written by: Daniel Z. Lieberman MD, and others
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Teaming with Microbes
- The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web
- Written by: Jeff Lowenfels, Wayne Lewis
- Narrated by: Chris Lutkin
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story5 out of 5 stars 27
When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains plants and then become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of toxic substances. Teaming with Microbes offers an alternative to this vicious circle and details how to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web. You’ll discover that healthy soil is teeming with life - not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Informative
- By Patricia Fantillo on 2022-05-19
Written by: Jeff Lowenfels, and others
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Silent Spring
- Written by: Rachel Carson
- Narrated by: Susie Berneis
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
Conservationist Rachel Carson spent over six years documenting the effects on DDT, a synthetic organic compound used as an insecticide, on numerous communities. Her analysis revealed that such powerful, persistent chemical pesticides have been used without a full understanding of the extent of their potential harm to the whole biota, including the damage they've caused to wildlife, birds, bees, agricultural animals, domestic pets, and even humans. An instant best seller that was read by President Kennedy during the summer of 1962, this classic remains one of the best introductions to the complicated and controversial subject.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Still relevant today
- By KL on 2019-08-11
Written by: Rachel Carson
Publisher's Summary
In his articles and in best-selling books such as The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan has established himself as one of our most important and beloved writers on modern man's place in the natural world. A new literary classic, Second Nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere.
Chosen by the American Horticultural Society as one of the 75 greatest books ever written about gardening, Second Nature captures the rhythms of our everyday engagement with the outdoors in all its glory and exasperation. With chapters ranging from a reconsideration of the Great American Lawn, a dispatch from one man's war with a woodchuck, to an essay about the sexual politics of roses, Pollan has created a passionate and eloquent argument for reconceiving our relationship with nature.
What the critics say
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What listeners say about Second Nature
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-02-08
Pollan lets you into his calm mind.
I came to this title as an aspiring gardener, planning my second season on the land. I hoped to glean a few tips about how to place my carrots with appropriate shoulder room and how to place my mind in relation to the work a gardener performs. I left with the golden apple of all tips, insight. Michael Pollan is a writer before he is a gardener, that is clear by his resume, but he has been a gardener much longer according to the biographical snippets in this book. Pollan's narration, as most often I've found with author narrated works, is perfectly timed and inflected to the intention of the work being performed. His voice is calm, soothing and instructive. His background in journalism shows great by the breadth of his research that he expounds upon in this, his very first non-fiction in book form.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jared
- 2022-12-05
Wonderfully written
This book was wonderfully written and recorded by Michael Pollan. He’s ability to paint a picture with his words is enjoyable. A very very good read.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Will
- 2023-07-13
meh
not bad by any standard but not a topic worth garnering 4+ stars. interesting enough to sooth and educate to a certain degree but not a gripping subject worthy of 4+ stars.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-02-06
wonderful!
Thoroughly love everything Michael Pollan produces!
easy listen.
funny.
total garden porn for us soil junkies!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- coach amanda
- 2021-09-28
Very enjoyable
This is an enjoyable and perceptive commentary on our relationship with gardens, nature and landscape design.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mary
- 2012-02-05
Love Pollan, don't love this (but you might)
Any additional comments?
I love Michael Pollan's books The Omnivore's Dilemma, and the Botany of Desire. Sweeping history or cultural commentary, a real understanding of humanity's relation to food and plants. However, this book is about his experience of growing a garden - it's more autobiographical. More slow and meditative than sweeping. If you like that kind of thing, he's a fabulous writer so you'll enjoy this. It's just not what I expected after reading the other two books.
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42 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- dancer
- 2015-03-20
The garden will always be a work in progress...
What did you love best about Second Nature?
I'm impressed by Pollan's ability to combine history, folklore, sound gardening advice, shopping tips, environmental issues, politics, and his own experience, into one coherent and interesting story. I'm thinking about my own property differently, considering old roses over hybrids, and heirloom seed catalogues after reading this book.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Second Nature?
The cathedral pines section of the book was devastating... I was holding on, waiting for the humans to get it right in a happy ending. I also enjoyed the parts about Pollan's grandpa and father, and how they managed their gardens, lawns, and neighbors.
What does Michael Pollan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I really like his narration style and I wish more non-fiction authors would narrate their own books. The emphasis he puts on the sentence structure is just right for what he wrote.
Many nonfiction books available here on audible.com are read in a boring monotone voice. It's so unnatural and personally I find it unpleasant. That is not the case here. Listening to him narrate his own book has been so great in fact that I'm now listening to his newer book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation.
Any additional comments?
It was neat to hear the history of lawns, gardens, and yards, in America. Pollan's background in journalism is obvious as he keeps this topic interesting and easy to follow. I have bees, chickens, and a small garden, and loved listening this book. If you enjoy playing in the dirt; check this book out.
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27 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A reader
- 2010-03-21
Lush no-nonsensical brilliance
This book already bears what Pollan will bring to perfection in Botany of Desire: cross pollination between science, history, cultural and human sociology, poetry, sheer observation, hands-on experience, tenderness, and humor. A book that enriches, teaches, entertains, and pleases enormously. The unassuming tone of Pollan's voice at every "turn of a page" gently invites the reader to follow the author along his thinking process. And the reader obliges gleefully. A perfect read anytime of year, but probably even more appropriate for the spring.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Avid Puzzler
- 2014-01-29
Fun read for gardeners
I loved this book! It's full of gardening history and facts, along with Michael Pollan's observations about his own garden and the gardening scene. I especially enjoyed his comparison of plant and seed catalogs (very funny) and his history of roses (informative and entertaining). I listened to this book while weeding my own garden, and found myself laughing out loud several times. I will definitely listen to this book again.
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21 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Paul Z.
- 2010-06-18
Not Bad
This book is a nice light read, though I have to say from glowing review of American Horticultural Society I was really expecting more. On one hand he states our shared criticism of Thoreau very well, yet in many ways he is writing his own updated version of Walden. There are tidbits of philosophy, history, science and art which make this a fun and encouraging read for a gardener, or someone who wishes to start gardening. On the other hand if you are looking for real philosophy, history, science or art in gardening (or biology/agroscience) you will probably want to pick up another book.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Shellbin
- 2010-09-28
Pollan's done it again
A brilliant book, and a real treat to have Pollan himself narrate it. It's about gardening, yes, but also about Nature and our place in her. Laugh out loud funny in spots (who knew that an in-depth discussion of seed catalogues could be so hilarious?) Second Nature is a book that has the ability to challenge assumptions and cause us to look at our environment(s) in new ways. Definitely not just for gardeners!
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13 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rich Tanguy
- 2012-01-01
Meh.
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
None of my friends, anyway. This is a book more of philosophy than practice. I was looking for someone who had the rich range of experiences in gardening and small farming as I had. I just wasn't very entertained by city boy's philosophical musings.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Oh my god, no.
Any additional comments?
I'm sure this is an outstanding book for some people. IT just didn't do much for me.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Darwin8u
- 2020-02-25
... the Margins of our Gardens
"It may be in the margins of our gardens that we can discover fresh ways to bring our aesthetics and our ethics about the land into some meaningful alignment."
-- Michael Pollan, Second Nature
I'm pretty sure I'm now a Michael Pollan completist. This was Pollan's first, and as I typically read the first last, my usual brush with Pollan completism for now.
This book sent me back to days working in my grandmother's garden, my mother's garden, my wife and my first garden on our apartment balcony. It reminded me of wandering through Jefferson's garden at Monticello, Versailles, and the lilac gardens of Maui. Pollan was definitly influenced in his writing by Thoreau and Wendell Berry, but Pollan's philosophy in this book seems driven more by the pragmatism of William James. His basic premise is that the garden is the better metaphor for dealing with the current environmental issues confronting us; and the zero-sum-game debates surrounding development vs wilderness. I generally agree with a lot of what he says about gardens, trees, wilderness, and our need to find new metaphors for our relationship with nature that weaves together nature and man and man's culture together. He does tend to wax poetic. Pollan is basically a long-form magazine writter who, like John McPhee and others, figured out that narrative nonfiction can work in chapters made from magazine articles and confederate them together into a book. Not the best Pollan, but for Pollan fans, nature lovers, or gardeners, there is definitely enough grown in this book to feed all types.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Shultz
- 2019-02-03
another great book by Micheal Pollan
I've loved all of Pollans books and this is no exception.....of course, it's much better with him reading it..... Worth the time to listen
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Ramon Rosario
- 2019-01-28
great!
a modern-day Walden! the author both eases and stimulates the mind on a journey through a path in the garden
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4 people found this helpful