"Thirst for plants" and the mutual relationship between humans and nature

Under the concise and elegant pen of Michael Pollan, Thirst for Plants and Grass (published by Phuong Nam Book and The Gioi Publishing House) presents a lot of in-depth scientific knowledge, along with vivid multidisciplinary references. All contribute to illuminating his core point of view: Humans and nature are always linked together in the common evolution of the flow of natural history.

The work Longing for Plants takes a comprehensive view, highlighting our co-evolutionary process that has crept into nature.

Four human desires are expressed through four plants: sweetness in the story of the apple tree, love of beauty in tulips, desire for intoxication (escapism) hidden in the cannabis plant, and the ability to control through the potato plant.

Through "Longing for Trees", author Michael Pollan suggests ways for people to express their appreciation for nature.

Reading Michael Pollan's writings, you will realize that trees are not just species of the wild jungle, but also close creatures that can control human emotions.

Since ancient times, plants and humans have learned to support each other: Each does for the other what it cannot do for itself, and in the process of negotiation transforms and improves their shared destiny.

In Michael Pollan's Desire for Plants , plants and humans are placed in a mutually dependent relationship. Before drawing this conclusion, the author points out that we often divide the world into subjects and targets. And in the garden, as in nature in general, humans often play the role of subjects. Even the language we use to describe this relationship is very clear: I choose the plants, I weed, I harvest. But according to Michael Pollan, humans, like other animals, when considered in their relationship with plants, have a co-evolutionary, mutually supportive nature.

In The Desire for Plants , Michael Pollan compares the mutually beneficial relationship between humans and plants to that between bees and flowers. Bees pollinate flowers to make honey, while also spreading pollen elsewhere, helping the mother plant continue its lineage. With this idea in mind, the author connects the basic human needs and desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy those needs: apple trees, tulips, cannabis plants, and potatoes.

By telling the story of these four plants, Michael Pollan shows how plants have tried to evolve to meet the basic needs of humans. In turn, humans, because they benefit from plants, try to propagate them, helping them grow more favorably.

Throughout the book, Michael Pollan suggests ways for people to show their appreciation for nature. Because only then will we be moved enough to feel the beautiful sounds, colors, and flavors of life.

The vitality of trees, the wonderful connections, help us learn to live in a harmonious rhythm of relationships that originate from the core nature and beauty of life.

QUYNH YEN

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