In which a gardner experiments with opium, caffeine, and mescaline
5 stars
An exploration of the mind-altering effects of plants and how they have influenced humans individually and culturally. Michael Pollan is an avid gardener, and a very unlikely person to experiment with opium or mescaline, and yet that’s just what he did as he wrote this book, in a nerdy and thoughtful way. He didn't just try opium or mescaline, he also tried abstaining from caffeine, which almost seemed to have more of an impact than his small forays into growing poppies or trying peyote. It was an unexpectedly delightful read for me.