Yep, these were supposed to be last weeks readings.

Pollan - Intro
Diamond - Chapter 7

So taking a step back, I looked at Jared Diamond’s book (chapter 7) as well as the intro to The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, though let’s start with Diamond: how to make an almond. The chapter discusses the mutation and intergenerational development of the plants we know today, most notably the almond. At Christmas time, when I eat an almond I do not stop to think of how this nut came to be before I eat it. I assume it grows as every nut does; then I crack the shell and pop it into my mouth to devour. Diamond describes the progression of the nut from its previous poisonous state when it contained an element which broke down into its more common form cyanide. I am baffled by this nut, how once it was extremely deadly to humans, but from a few mutant genes, it flourished into a staple in our regular diets.

I was also interested in the domestication of fruits by means of unintentional selection and how they prospered through farming. I thought Diamond did an excellent job of presenting intentional and unintentional selection which led nicely into artificial and natural selection. Diamond referenced Darwin nicely to complete this chapter and hammer home his point.

Botany of desire was taking a step back for me as I had already read chapter nine on the GM potato. The intro, however tied up some loose ends and gave me more of an understanding of the book itself as well as the chapter I had already looked at. Pollan also incorporates Darwin into his intro much like Diamond did. Considering the topic it is suiting after all, however Pollan introduces Darwin much earlier than Diamond did. Instead of referencing Darwin for solidifying the idea of the story, Pollan uses Darwin as more of a resource to explain and provide some history on the subject. Both books provide a different look at it, though Pollan was just an intro. I look forward to reading more from both authors. I seem to enjoy these more than I would a regular text book. These provide information as well as a story and feeling to go with it, making it much easier and more pleasant to read.