Study Guide Questions For Pollan’s The Bounty Of Desire

Study Guide Questions For Pollans Th E B O Tan Y O F De S Ire A P

Study Guide questions for Pollan’s The Botanical of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World

1. In his Introduction, Pollan argues that the things that we cultivate and create become our co-creators, so that we are co-evolving with the things we desire. This makes desire a part of our human natural history as well as a part of natural history. How does Pollan support these ideas? Does the analogy that bees are to flowers as people are to potatoes make sense? How do dogs and Darwin fit into his main ideas? How is his thinking different from an anthropocentric point of view? (Please look up: anthropocentric and Darwin’s The Origin of Species if these are not familiar to you!)

2. Considering Chapter 1, according to Pollan, how does the story of “Johnny Appleseed,” a.k.a. John Chapman, fit into this picture of plants using humans to achieve their ends? Why does Pollan care so much about Chapman the man and the myth of “Johnny Appleseed”? What do we really know about Chapman? What is odd, strange and/or heroic and good about him? What is the importance of Chapman growing apple trees from seed? How did apple trees evolve in America? (see especially 8-13). {It is just interesting to notice that John Chapman and Mary Wollstonecraft were contemporaries. A student group could make a funny creative project out of a hypothetical meeting between them.}

3. What is the role of sugar or sweetness in evolution? What is the meaning and value of “sweetness” for people? (17-19) Why is the apple connected to the Garden of Eden story (20)? When did apples get their “wholesome” reputation (22)? How common (or prevalent) was hard cider on the frontier? Who is Bill Jones and what did he want to make out of Chapman? What heroic or great things did Chapman do? What does Pollan think of the real Chapman, who could cross all kinds of boundaries freely? (32-33) Why does the barefoot Chapman have meaning for Pollan (28-29)? What do you think about Chapman’s love life? What about his religious life? What is good or not so good about his religious understanding?

4. Do you believe Pollan’s idea that Swedenborg’s philosophy partly explains Chapman (33-35)? What do you think of Pollan’s insight into Chapman and portrayal of Chapman as a “Protestant satyr” (35)? How does Chapman fit the idea of the ancient Greek god of wine, Dionysus? What is an “American Dionysus” (37-40)? Was he a mystical ecstatic otherworldly character? A crazy person?

5. Pollan draws some important conclusions about Chapman and the apple in the history of America’s frontier. What is the final legacy of Chapman? (41-43) Why is there a “Plant Genetic Resources Unit” (43) that has 2,500 varieties of apple trees? Why is this a good idea? (See especially p. 52) How could a good wild apple make anyone rich? What are some apple success stories? Chapter 2, “Desire: Beauty / Plant: The Tulip”

6. What is a flower beautiful for? What is the use of beauty in nature, i.e., from the point of view of tulips, and what is it from the perspective of humans? What are the biological functions of flowers? Is there any possible evolutionary advantage for a person who remembers where flowers grow? (See 67-68.) Why do you think indifference to flowers is a sign of clinical depression? In what way(s) can a flower give or carry meaning?

7. In what ways do flowers mimic (or appear like) other living things? (See 69-70 and following.) Why did one botanist call bees “flying penises” (72)? How well does that metaphor work, in your opinion? What does “sexual selection” (74) have to do with beauty, and what are the biological uses of beauty? How is “health” related to beauty?

8. How did the tulip come into Europe, and where did it come from? Can you explain what happened to Sultan Ahmed III? (See 82.) What happened in Holland during the time of “tulipomania,” and why would Holland be especially susceptible to this craze? Do you believe that it is possible that flowers use some people the same that they use bees to dominate more of the world? (See 80-81.) What is the difference between artificial selection and natural selection?

9. What was the symbolic value of tulips in Holland, i.e., how did it fit in with the Christian religion and humanist culture of the 17th century? What made tulips seem especially magical? (See 87-88). Why does Pollan say tulips are “classical rather than romantic” (97)? Why would tulips be more like a masculine rather than a feminine flower? Why is the tulip more like Apollo and less like Dionysus?

10. Why were 17th c. Dutch tulip traders often drinking heavily, and what is the “greater fool theory” (103)? How did the financial speculation actually work? How and why did it crash to an end? Can you think of any contemporary parallels to tulipomania? If you can’t think of any, you can research the subprime mortgage crisis and explain it. This is just one article that explains it: Why does Pollan bring up the idea of the world before flowers near the end of his tulip chapter? (See 107). How different would our world be without flowers? Do you agree that, in a way, “the flowers begot us” and all other mammals? (See ). In what ways do flowers have greater meaning to you now than they did before you read Pollan?

11. Do you believe Pollan’s idea that Swedenborg’s philosophy partly explains Chapman (33-35)? What do you think of Pollan’s insight into Chapman and portrayal of Chapman as a “Protestant satyr” (35)? How does Chapman fit the idea of the ancient Greek god of wine, Dionysus? What is an “American Dionysus” (37-40)? Was he a mystical ecstatic otherworldly character? A crazy person?

12. Pollan draws some important conclusions about Chapman and the apple in the history of America’s frontier. What is the final legacy of Chapman? (41-43) Why is there a “Plant Genetic Resources Unit” (43) that has 2,500 varieties of apple trees? Why is this a good idea? (See especially p. 52) How could a good wild apple make anyone rich? What are some apple success stories? Chapter 2, “Desire: Beauty / Plant: The Tulip”

13. What is a flower beautiful for? What is the use of beauty in nature, i.e., from the point of view of tulips, and what is it from the perspective of humans? What are the biological functions of flowers? Is there any possible evolutionary advantage for a person who remembers where flowers grow? (See 67-68.) Why do you think indifference to flowers is a sign of clinical depression? In what way(s) can a flower give or carry meaning?

14. In what ways do flowers mimic (or appear like) other living things? (See 69-70 and following.) Why did one botanist call bees “flying penises” (72)? How well does that metaphor work, in your opinion? What does “sexual selection” (74) have to do with beauty, and what are the biological uses of beauty? How is “health” related to beauty?

15. How did the tulip come into Europe, and where did it come from? Can you explain what happened to Sultan Ahmed III? (See 82.) What happened in Holland during the time of “tulipomania,” and why would Holland be especially susceptible to this craze? Do you believe that it is possible that flowers use some people the same that they use bees to dominate more of the world? (See 80-81.) What is the difference between artificial selection and natural selection?

16. What was the symbolic value of tulips in Holland, i.e., how did it fit in with the Christian religion and humanist culture of the 17th century? What made tulips seem especially magical? (See 87-88). Why does Pollan say tulips are “classical rather than romantic” (97)? Why would tulips be more like a masculine rather than a feminine flower? Why is the tulip more like Apollo and less like Dionysus?

17. Why were 17th c. Dutch tulip traders often drinking heavily, and what is the “greater fool theory” (103)? How did the financial speculation actually work? How and why did it crash to an end? Can you think of any contemporary parallels to tulipomania? If you can’t think of any, you can research the subprime mortgage crisis and explain it. This is just one article that explains it: Why does Pollan bring up the idea of the world before flowers near the end of his tulip chapter? (See 107). How different would our world be without flowers? Do you agree that, in a way, “the flowers begot us” and all other mammals? (See ). In what ways do flowers have greater meaning to you now than they did before you read Pollan?

18. Do you believe that forgetting is a positive conscious activity that enables our focused awareness to do necessary things? If this is true, do some plants remove our “filters” or enable more naked reality into our consciousness? What does being in the now have to do with “forgetting”? And why would that be a good thing for creativity and originality?

Paper For Above instruction

Michael Pollan’s “The Botany of Desire” explores the intricate relationship between humans and plants, emphasizing how plants have evolved alongside us and our desires. Throughout the book, Pollan supports the idea that plants are active participants in their evolution, shaping human history and culture, rather than merely passive recipients of human cultivation. He employs compelling analogies, such as the relationship between bees and flowers, to illustrate how mutualism drives species development. Pollan contends that just as flowers have co-evolved with pollinators like bees, humans and plants also co-evolve through mutual influence, with desires guiding this process.

Pollan’s analogy comparing bees to flowers and people to potatoes underlines the mutualistic interactions that drive co-evolution. Bees pollinate flowers, ensuring their reproductive success, in exchange for nectar and pollen. Similarly, humans domesticate plants for culinary, aesthetic, or economic purposes. The comparison underscores how both natural and human-driven processes are interconnected in shaping species and their environments.

In chapter 1, Pollan highlights Johnny Appleseed, or John Chapman, as a symbol of plants using humans to achieve their ends. Chapman’s story illustrates how the apple tree, through human cultivation, became a symbol of American frontier life. Pollan cares about the myth and reality of Chapman, recognizing him as a heroic figure who embodied the symbiosis between humans and plants. Growing apple trees from seed was a significant act because it allowed for genetic diversity and the propagation of unique varieties, reminiscent of how plants adapt and evolve to their environments. The evolution of apple trees in America was driven by both natural mutation and human selection, leading to the rich diversity seen today.

Sugar and sweetness play crucial roles in evolution, acting as attractants for animals and humans alike. Sweetness signals energy-rich food sources, encouraging consumption that provides vital calories. For humans, apples and other sweet fruits became symbolic of innocence and paradise—most notably in the story of the Garden of Eden. Apples gained their wholesome reputation over centuries as a versatile, nourishing fruit, integral to frontier life when hard cider was a common beverage. Pollan discusses Bill Jones, an early orchardist, who sought to create diverse and hardy apple varieties from Chapman’s seeds. Chapman’s heroic deeds, including his boundary-crossing lifestyle, reflect a plant’s strategy of using human communities to spread and develop its species. Pollan admires Chapman’s adventurous spirit and his ability to transcend social confines, embodying the plant's capacity for leverage and adaptation.

Pollan suggests that Swedenborg’s philosophy—emphasizing the spiritual and mystical—partly explains Chapman’s character, portraying him as a “Protestant satyr” with a connection to Dionysian themes. Chapman’s free spirit and boundary-breaking nature echo the Greek god Dionysus, an emblem of ecstasy, chaos, and rebirth. Pollan interprets Chapman as an “American Dionysus,” a symbol of wildness and the transformative power of plants. While some view him as mystical and ecstatic, others see him as eccentric or even reckless. Chapman’s legacy includes the preservation of genetic diversity through the Plant Genetic Resources Unit, which maintains thousands of apple varieties, ensuring resilience and potential wealth from wild or cultivated apples.

Chapter 2 shifts focus to tulips, exploring their beauty and symbolic significance. Flowers serve multiple purposes: biologically, they attract pollinators; culturally, they evoke aesthetic pleasure and status. The biological function of flowers involves reproduction and gene propagation, but humans assign additional meanings like beauty, love, and transient perfection. Flowers mimic other living entities—bees, butterflies, or even other flowers—enhancing their appeal and reproductive success. The metaphor of bees as “flying penises” emphasizes their role in pollination and sexual reproduction, illustrating how sexual selection influences floral evolution. Beauty, in flowers and humans, signals health and fertility, with evolutionary advantages for those who remember flower locations, promoting survival skills.

The tulip’s journey from the Ottoman Empire into Europe is intertwined with political and economic intrigue. The radical phenomenon of “tulipomania” in Holland—a speculative bubble—demonstrates how cultural values can distort economic behavior. Tulip scarcity and desirability led traders to bid excessively, culminating in a financial crash. Holland’s susceptibility stemmed from its capitalist mentality and fascination with beauty and status. Pollan compares the tulip craze to modern financial bubbles like the subprime mortgage crisis, highlighting the recurring theme of speculative excess. The tulip’s symbolic value in Dutch culture linked it to religious and humanist ideals, representing beauty, rarity, and divine favor, aligning with notions of harmony between nature and human achievement.

Pollan portrays tulips as “classical rather than romantic”—more aligned with order, clarity, and classical ideals than the emotional turmoil of romanticism. They are associated with masculinity and Apollo, symbolizing order, reason, and the arts. During tulipmania, traders engaged in heavy drinking, fueled by greed and the “greater fool theory,” where prices soared beyond intrinsic worth, eventually collapsing and crashing the bubble. Modern parallels include speculative bubbles like the stock market or real estate crises, exemplifying the dangers of irrational exuberance.

Pollan expands on how flowers and plants may influence human consciousness. Certain plants, such as those containing psychoactive compounds, have historically been forbidden due to their mind-altering properties. The biblical story of Eden and the forbidden fruit illustrates cultural attitudes toward plants that can challenge spiritual or social norms. Plants that alter consciousness—like cannabis, opium, or psilocybin—may have served evolutionary and cultural functions by facilitating spiritual experiences, creative insights, and social cohesion. Paracelsus’ work linked plants to healing and mysticism, reinforcing their revered but taboo status.

Both Christianity and capitalism have historically stigmatized plants like marijuana, associating them with moral decay or social disorder. The drug war policies in the Reagan era inadvertently led to the development of stronger, more resilient cannabis hybrids, often with female plants prized for their potency. The high from marijuana affects brain chemistry, particularly via endocannabinoids, producing pleasurable sensations without toxic overdose risk. Pollan suggests that many religions harnessed plants’ power to enhance spiritual or mystical states, exemplified by opium’s influence on Romantic poetry and British mysticism.

The use of plants to alter consciousness, coupled with cultural taboos, points to a deeper human fascination with transcending ordinary experience. Plants like cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms have historically provided a lens for understanding reality differently, fostering creativity, spiritual insight, and social bonding. Pollan argues that this relationship is embedded in our natural history and evolution, connecting us with the broader biological and cultural narratives of discovery and transcendence.

Finally, Pollan contends that forgetting—or deliberately choosing to not focus on overwhelming stimuli—can be a conscious act that enables creativity and clarity. Certain plants may serve as tools for removing mental filters, helping individuals enter a state of “being in the now,” which enhances originality and problem-solving. By temporarily “forgetting” distraction and excess, humans can achieve a more authentic engagement with reality, promoting mental freedom and innovative thinking.

References

• Pollan, M. (2001). The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World. Random House.
• Darwin, C. (1859). On the Origin of Species. John Murray.
• Wollstonecraft, M. (1792). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. J. Johnson.
• Huxley, A. (1954). The Doors of Perception. Chatto & Windus.
• Harari, Y. N. (2015). Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Harvill Secker.
• Suzuki, D. (2001). The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature. Greystone Books.
• Dobzhansky, T. (1973). Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution. The American Biology Teacher.
• McKenna, T. (1992). Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge. Bantam.
• Schultes, R., & Hofmann, A. (1979). Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Properties. Healing Arts Press.