While I felt the author's original premise that plants have shaped human desire gets lost early on in the history of the plants, it's still an intensely interesting book. You probably never knew that Jonny Appleseed was more interested in apple cider than edible apples, that tulips were once the most coveted flower of all, and many other little tidbits of that Pollan's trip through history turns up.

The last two chapters, on marijuana and potatoes are bit a politically slanted. Pollan obviously believes that marijuana should be legalized, and that genetic engineering is a bad thing. That aside, even the chapter on something you take as for granted as the simple potato is fascinating to read. Some of what goes on to get us our modern day French fry, and how we got to that point is really sobering. I highly recommend this book.