A book on plant neurobiology might not be on the top of your reading list, but that’s not reason enough to not pick up a copy of Stefano Mancuso’s The Incredible Journey of Plants. Mancuso, who is one of the world’s leading authorities in plant neurobiology, somehow manages to make this book fascinating, whether or not you’re into botany or science.
The short book, woven together by a series of short vignettes, showcases the amazing adaptability and prowess of plants, surely the more intelligent of species when compared to animals. A combination of scientific facts and short stories, Mancuso paints a picture of the reverence we should all have for plants. In the beginning, you will learn of the impressive plants that have survived, and even thrived, since the destruction of Chernobyl and the atomic bomb. In the middle, you will learn about the perseverance of seeds that have traveled through thousands of years trapped in ice to be able to germinate and sprout anew in a new era. You will also learn about solitary trees — those who have, against all odds, managed to be lone survivors in unbearable climates. And finally, you will learn how humans saved avocados from extinction (but will we ultimately also be its downfall?). Among these anecdotes, you will learn of coconut-eating cults, how dodo birds went extinct, 10,000 year old trees, and so much more.
Surprisingly, each chapter, which focuses on equally, yet different, points of fascination of plants, managed to capture my attention, having me running to the computer to Google images of Bahrain’s Tree of Life, the beauty of water hyacinth, explosions of the dynamite tree, and the size of the seed from coco de mer (which, for reference, can weigh upwards of 30 lbs). I found the book honestly fascinating, and I have discovered a newfound respect for plants. I plan on reading some of Mancuso’s past books now!
