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How to be a Bad Botanist
By Simon Barnes
Table of Contents
About The Book
Chosen by WATERSTONES as one of their BEST NATURE WRITING BOOKS of 2024
Can you tell a tomato from a grape? A patch of grass from a Christmas tree? Then congratulations – you’re a botanist.
Self-confessed bad birdwatcher Simon Barnes thought he knew nothing about plants. He didn't have anything against them: trees are interesting because birds perch in them; plants are useful because they create habitats, and all birds live in habitats. But while admiring the tenacity of some yellow horned poppies thriving on a shingle beach – a place where it seemed no plant had a hope of surviving – he was struck by a simple yet profound truth. It all begins with plants.
In this charming and inspiring book, Barnes takes us on a fascinating journey, from the simple genius of photosynthesis to the complex and bizarre ways that plants reproduce. We consider plants as varied as cabbages and conifers, familiar wildflowers and enigmatic orchids, nefarious parasites and plants that carry deadly poisons – helping us better appreciate the beauty and diversity of the natural world.
Both a primer on botany and an exploration of how plants make our external and interior worlds, How to Be a Bad Botanist opens our eyes to the wonders around us. Plants are everywhere, in every part of your life, and you know more than you think.
Can you tell a tomato from a grape? A patch of grass from a Christmas tree? Then congratulations – you’re a botanist.
Self-confessed bad birdwatcher Simon Barnes thought he knew nothing about plants. He didn't have anything against them: trees are interesting because birds perch in them; plants are useful because they create habitats, and all birds live in habitats. But while admiring the tenacity of some yellow horned poppies thriving on a shingle beach – a place where it seemed no plant had a hope of surviving – he was struck by a simple yet profound truth. It all begins with plants.
In this charming and inspiring book, Barnes takes us on a fascinating journey, from the simple genius of photosynthesis to the complex and bizarre ways that plants reproduce. We consider plants as varied as cabbages and conifers, familiar wildflowers and enigmatic orchids, nefarious parasites and plants that carry deadly poisons – helping us better appreciate the beauty and diversity of the natural world.
Both a primer on botany and an exploration of how plants make our external and interior worlds, How to Be a Bad Botanist opens our eyes to the wonders around us. Plants are everywhere, in every part of your life, and you know more than you think.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (July 17, 2024)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9781398518919
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Raves and Reviews
‘I’d give Simon Barnes’s How to Be a Bad Botanist to anyone interested in what we take for granted, the plants around us. He writes as an everyman, not an expert, which makes the book accessible and appealing.'
– Michael Palin, Observer Best Books of 2024
‘I can’t think of a better introduction for an intelligent reader . . . a book whose time has come’
– Country Living
'Funny and inspiring'
– People's Friend
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