Book Review: The Incredible Journey of Plants

 The Incredible Journey of Plants, by Stefano Mancuso.

I was sent this book for review. Reading whilst waiting for hubby in Ottawa at his latest cancer treatment, I was quite transported. It was translated from the Italian, and has lovely pastel artwork. 

It is a series of vignettes about different plants, and how they adapted and evolved around the world during human's inhumanity towards nature. 

Coincidentally, I wrote about two methods of seed dispersal on my post the Battle of the Burrs: Burrs are an effective means by which plants are dispersed. There are two types of seed/burr dispersal: endozoochory and epizoochory. Basically, they carry them or eat them and poop them out! 

Of course, animals and humans are a great part of seed dispersal, as well as the cause of invasive species. The story is much more complicated and interwoven than this. It is a great read! 

Inside THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF PLANTS, you’ll discover: 

•  How humans saved the avocado from going extinct 
• How the Zone of Alienation around the site of the Chernobyl disaster has become one of the most biologically diverse territories in the former Soviet Union (“It seems humans are much more harmful than radiation.”) 
• Why the “invasive species” of today are the native plants of tomorrow 
• The story of August Engelhardt, who started a cult whose followers could only eat coconuts (He died of malnutrition in 1919.) 
• The magic of seeds: tiny capsules capable of protecting a living embryo in water, under ice or in a hot desert, without air, nutrients, or shelter, for years 
• The sad tale of the beloved Dodo bird 
• Old Tjikko, which at about 7,000-10,000 years old is the oldest tree in the world 
• The Mammillaria hernandezii, which has the capacity to conserve its seeds and release them into the environment only when conditions are better for germination.

About the Author 

Stefano Mancuso is one of the world’s leading authorities in the field of plant neurobiology, which explores signaling and communication at all levels of biological organization. He is a professor at the University of Florence and has published more than 250 scientific papers in international journals. His previous books include The Revolutionary Genius of Plants: A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior, and Brilliant Green: The Surprising History and Science of Plant Intelligence.

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@Barrie Summy