Around the World in 80 Plants

Product Information

The 1 or 2 page stories about each plant are very accessible, interesting and intriguing, telling the stories about the history of the plant, where it is found and why it has evolved to be a certain way. Soybeans are one of the most nutritious plant foods, rich in edible oil and, even by the standards of legumes, an excellent source of protein, although they are not to be eaten raw, as they contain substances that interfere with our digestion.

In a gloriously illustrated follow-up to his bestselling Around the World in 80 Trees, Drori takes the reader on a botanical journey across the world, exploring the science, history and cultural significance of a fascinating range of plants. An exquisite follow up to his Around the World in 80 Trees, Drori is the David Attenborough of the plant world, sharing his immense fascination and love of plants with any who are lucky enough to listen. Like a curious but discerning alchemist, the author has distilled a wealth of information concerning the examples chosen, which are an eclectic mix of both well-known and lesser-known plants. I wonder what criteria Drori considered when picking his 80 plants to cover because he certainly covered the world and every continent - including the ocean! I bought this as a Christmas Gift for my mum who is crazy about Candles, Flowers, Smellies and Chocolates.

IX и X веков, «снотворную губку» с мандрагорой, болиголовом, опиумом и другими травами держали под носом больного. Around the World in 80 Plants by Jonathan Drori and illustrated by Lucille Clerc — Two years ago I picked up ‘Around the World in 80 Trees’ because it kept talking to me every time I was in McNally Jackson on Prince Street so when I saw there was going to be a Plant follow-up I was delighted. The book is lively, entertaining and educational and the author's personal comments and witty asides, often made me laugh out loud.

How could you possibly separate Corn and the USA, Papyrus and Egypt, Tomato and Spain, Hops and Germany, Indigo and Bangladesh, or Cacao and the Ivory Coast? Ik kijk nu vol bewondering naar de ogenschijnlijk eenvoudige paardenbloem (Taraxacum officinale) die in Estland wordt gevierd met een heus paardenbloemenfestival. And this would not be a complete review without a mention of the lavish and fabulous illustrations provided by Lucille Clerc. Applied externally, it has shown promise for treating burns, but eating just a handful of black liquorice a day for a fortnight can interfere with some of the body’s hormone systems and cause high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia and muscle weakness.

While the pictures in this are utterly beautiful, and the facts are fun, the organization of this book felt scattered and unfocused, and plants were often listed for one country when they were native to another part of the world which irritated the pedantic side of me. It's a weird little aversion, and maybe it's from that time I pet a cactus as a child and learned what "regret" meant, but regardless of the reason, it's a thing for me. I'm very tempted to travel to some of these countries to find them and see if I can apply my new knowledge. From the unfurling leaves of the silver tree fern to the colours and impossible shapes of some unique and strange-looking orchids, these drawings add yet another layer of delight. He brings with him a cheerfully wry sense of humour and a wonderful way of explaining to the previously ignorant the golden nuggets of fact, the "did you knows?

Once again, the production quality of this book is astounding and impressive (immediately noticeable are the thick pages) and wonderful illustrations that show the full plant, details and a bit of its surroundings either on one page or on a double-spread.

De wetenschappelijke naam, hoe de plant eruit ziet, de plaats in de geschiedenis, cultuur en mythologie,… echt een fijne ontdekkingstocht! Often beautiful, sometimes deadly, but constantly ingenious, plants are the sources of life and delight, myth and mayhem. The descriptions are written with such passion and beauty, brief but densely packed with information about the plant's history, as well as things like relevance to science and art, or just quirky anecdotes.

Op haar kleurrijke prenten, soms paginagroot, zie je zowel het geheel als knappe details van de betreffende planten. It is a credit to his skill and dedication that every fact-filled sentence is rich in information about each chosen plant, be it ethnobotanical, economic, folklore, myth, history, religion, culinary or etymology - not a word is wasted. With its fascinating blend of the cultural, historic and scientific, Jonathan Drori's AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TREES led readers on a global tour telling the stories of people and plants. In a previous life at the BBC, he was Executive Producer of more than fifty prime-time science documentaries and popular series.Interestingly, every plant has its own character: some like to cooperate with animals or other plants to benefit (birds spreading seeds, for example), while others lie and cheat.