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“Mancuso is a genial narrator, who tells the story of plants’ journeys through well-crafted stories that are embellished by the sweetly decorative watercolors of Grisha Fischer. He effortlessly interweaves science with history, philosophy, and humor and introduces fascinating characters, very much including the plants themselves, which take on human, even heroic, traits.” —Wall Street Journal
“A gripping series of evolutionary history vignettes about plants that have coexisted either in spite of or due to human intervention…a new perspective on that hazy term, ‘nature.’” —Salon
“An absorbing overview of botanical history and why its understanding is vital to the earth’s future.” —Parade
“Anecdotes enliven Mancuso’s quirky little global history, which argues that plants ‘are more sensitive than animals.’” —Nature
“[An] elegant and charmingly illustrated survey…The topics of human intervention and plant evolution are gracefully intertwined in discussions of coconut trees, date palms, and bristlecone pines…naturalists and the culinary-inclined will cherish this collection of botanical vignettes.” —Publishers Weekly
“Illuminating and surprisingly lively…[Mancuso] smoothly balances expansive historical exploration with recent scientific research…An authoritative, engaging study of plant life, accessible to younger readers as well as adults.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A love letter from a botanist to the plants he studies, written in a breezy and poetic style. Reading this book will give you a whole new appreciation for plants and their many remarkable lifestyles and adaptations. You’ll never look at a blade of grass or a forest of trees the same way again!” —Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh paleontologist and New York Times/Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs