Second Nature: A Gardener's Education (0802140114)

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Editorial Review:

In his articles and in best-selling books such as The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan has established himself as one of our most important and beloved writers on modern man's place in the natural world. A new literary classic, Second Nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere. Chosen by the American Horticultural Society as one of the seventy-five greatest books ever written about gardening, Second Nature captures the rhythms of our everyday engagement with the outdoors in all its glory and exasperation. With chapters ranging from a reconsideration of the Great American Lawn, a dispatch from one man's war with a woodchuck, to an essay about the sexual politics of roses, Pollan has created a passionate and eloquent argument for reconceiving our relationship with nature.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Certainly not a how-to book:

I find Second Nature to be primarily a treatise on urban
landscaping for homeowners--what to do with the land on which
your house sits. A very philosophical approach to gardening.

excellent:

This book is a must read, a real page turner. Sit back with a cup of something to drink and soak this book in. Get cozy, you may not want to put it down for a while. Enjoy Pollens style of writing and his good natured humor. I myself enjoyed the battle with the woodchuck as I have done my time with maurading gophers in my day. There is often a moral deliema that comes with the territory of gardening. Pollen brings all that to light with a wonderful common sense and realistic approach while bringing a smile... more info

Early Pollan proves why he's where he is today:

Who could have predicted that a young Michael Pollan writing about gardening would become a leading advocate for responsible agriculture and one of the country's biggest-selling writers? Just about anyone who read him then, is my guess. Pollan shows in this gem of a book what a terrific and layered writer he is.
For all the fantastic writing, the book, however, is uneven. Many of the chapters were published as magazine articles before the book came out, and it shows. The organization of the book by... more info

Wonderful picture of a garden:

This is a book I wish I'd caught earlier - written in the late 80's, it displays the kind of writing that made Pollan famous. The combination of history, garden information, and good writing makes it a pleasure to follow Pollan's development of his property and his understanding of what makes his work 'gardening.'
I see gardens and landscaping differently after reading this book.

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