Thus Spoke The Plant

A Remarkable Journey of Groundbreaking Scientific Discoveries and Personal Encounters With Plants

English language

Published Nov. 20, 2018 by North Atlantic Books.

ISBN:
978-1-62317-244-2
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3 stars (1 review)

3 editions

From firm roots to frail branches

3 stars

Monica Gagliano has written a unique book. It is a memoir of a kind describing her experience of learning from the voices of various plants: Socoba (Bellaco-caspi), Tobacco, Corn, Ayahuasca and others. The voices tell stories and help direct her scientific research.

The first half of the book is brilliant. It is fluid and calm, poetic and playful. Despite Gagliano's blinkered view of her own privilege (she writes as if everyone has the freedom to travel freely around the world and work in universities), it reads wonderfully and creatively and she constructs a philosophy that is like an intersection between Deleuze & Guattari and Donna Haraway, although not calling on either. Instead she calls on various plants, supported in her conversations by humans who understand their world. The plants suggest experiments that she should follow, and she listens. This theory and process is magnificent, adventurous and wild, and very brave. …