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Second Nature
- A Gardener's Education
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
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A Place of My Own
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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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Fantastic
- By Ryan on 2023-01-27
Written by: Michael Pollan
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The Botany of Desire
- A Plant's-Eye View of the World
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
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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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Throughly enjoyed it!
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-19
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
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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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he must be getting paid by the word
- By A on 2021-03-30
Written by: Michael Pollan
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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
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
"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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Incredibly well written and interesting
- By Trent T on 2019-01-07
Written by: Michael Pollan
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This Is Your Mind on Plants
- Written by: Michael Pollan
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- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
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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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Basically just a trip report.
- By Jade on 2022-09-01
Written by: Michael Pollan
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Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany
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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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Warning: does not come with pdf
- By Rafe on 2021-05-26
Written by: Catherine Kleier, and others
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A Place of My Own
- The Architecture of Daydreams
- Written by: Michael Pollan
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- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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-
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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.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Ryan on 2023-01-27
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
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Overall
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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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-
Throughly enjoyed it!
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-19
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
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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.
-
-
he must be getting paid by the word
- By A on 2021-03-30
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"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.
-
-
Incredibly well written and interesting
- By Trent T on 2019-01-07
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Basically just a trip report.
- By Jade on 2022-09-01
Written by: Michael Pollan
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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
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Overall
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Performance
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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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Warning: does not come with pdf
- By Rafe on 2021-05-26
Written by: Catherine Kleier, and others
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In Defense of Food
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- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
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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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Some good messages but very preachy
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-10-20
Written by: Michael Pollan
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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
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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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Very informative.
- By Fully Completely on 2019-08-09
Written by: Joel Salatin
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Food Rules
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- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 1 hr and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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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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Fine, but overlaps In Defence of Food
- By Watsn on 2020-07-01
Written by: Michael Pollan
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How to Read Nature
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- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Nobody wakes up in the morning and decides to shut down their senses and stumble through each day in an oblivious bubble, and yet some people end up having much richer experiences than others. In this guidebook, natural navigator Tristan Gooley strives to reawaken our senses to help us understand and deepen our personal experience of nature. His message is to connect - however we can and to whatever draws us in.
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should be called "why read nature" instead of "how
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Written by: Tristan Gooley
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Restoration Agriculture
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- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
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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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Changed the way I will grow my food for ever!
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Written by: Mark Shepard
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Gathering Moss
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- Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
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- Unabridged
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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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Beautiful voice
- By Tanya on 2020-10-06
Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
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The Heartbeat of Trees
- Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature
- Written by: Peter Wohlleben
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
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Overall
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Performance
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In The Heartbeat of Trees, renowned forester Peter Wohlleben draws on new scientific discoveries to show how humans are deeply connected to the natural world. In an era of climate change, many of us fear we’ve lost our connection to nature - but Peter Wohlleben is convinced that age-old ties linking humans to the forest remain alive and intact. We just have to know where to look.
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you need to read this
- By Anonymous User on 2023-04-13
Written by: Peter Wohlleben
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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
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- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
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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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Educational, enlightening, and optimistic.
- By Bryar C on 2018-05-31
Written by: Michael Pollan
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A Prayer for Owen Meany
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- Length: 27 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Of all of John Irving's books, this is the one that lends itself best to audio. In print, Owen Meany's dialogue is set in capital letters; for this production, Irving himself selected Joe Barrett to deliver Meany's difficult voice as intended. In the summer of 1953, two 11-year-old boys – best friends – are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy's mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn't believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary and terrifying.
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repeat listen
- By jolene on 2018-09-13
Written by: John Irving
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Teaming with Microbes
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- Written by: Jeff Lowenfels, Wayne Lewis
- Narrated by: Chris Lutkin
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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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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Informative
- By Patricia Fantillo on 2022-05-19
Written by: Jeff Lowenfels, and others
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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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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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Life Changing
- By Chaz on 2020-04-30
Written by: Daniel Z. Lieberman MD, and others
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On the Origin of Species
- Written by: Charles Darwin
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 21 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Perhaps the most influential science book ever written, On the Origin of Species has continued to fascinate for more than a century after its initial publication. Its controversial theory that populations evolve and adapt through a process known as natural selection led to heated scientific, philosophical, and religious debate, revolutionizing every discipline in its wake. With its clear, concise, and surprisingly enjoyable prose, On the Origin of Species is both captivating and edifying.
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Really good
- By Matheus on 2023-06-05
Written by: Charles Darwin
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.
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- 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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- 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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- 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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- 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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- 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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