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In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants (Plant Guide, Horticulture, Trees) Hardcover – February 23, 2021

by Matt Candeias PhD (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 357 ratings
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The Study of Plants in a Whole New Light

“Matt Candeias succeeds in evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom.” ―James T. Costa, PhD, executive director, Highlands Biological Station and author of Darwin's Backyard

#1 New Release in Nature & Ecology, Plants, Botany, Horticulture, Trees, Biological Sciences, and Nature Writing & Essays

Internationally-recognized blogger and podcaster Matt Candeias celebrates the nature of plants and the extraordinary world of plant organisms.

A botanist’s defense. Since his early days of plant restoration, this amateur plant scientist has been enchanted with flora and the greater environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection. Using gardening, houseplants, and examples of plants around you, In Defense of Plants changes your relationship with the world from the comfort of your windowsill.

The ruthless, horny, and wonderful nature of plants. Understand how plants evolve and live on Earth with a never-before-seen look into their daily drama. Inside, Candeias explores the incredible ways plants live, fight, and conquer new territory. Whether a blossoming botanist or a professional plant scientist, In Defense of Plants is for anyone who sees plants as more than just static backdrops to more charismatic life forms.

In this easily accessible introduction to the incredible world of plants, you’ll find:

  • Fantastic botanical histories and plant symbolism
  • Passionate stories of flora diversity and scientific names of plant organisms
  • Personal tales of plantsman discovery through the study of plants

If you enjoyed books like The Botany of Desire, What a Plant Knows, or The Soul of an Octopus, then you’ll love In Defense of Plants.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    280 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Mango
  4. Publication date
    February 23, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 1 x 7.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    164250453X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1642504538
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Plants are bulwarks against climate change and the devastating tsunami of the Anthropocene. In his new book, Matt has produced a Bildungsroman mapping not just his journey, but that so many of us have taken to redefine the dynamic of Plant, People and Planet. It’s an irresistible read.”
―Panayoti Kelaidis, senior curator and director of outreach at Denver Botanic Gardens

“For many of us, plants serve as a kind of quiet backdrop to the world's more compelling biological dramas. Ecologist Matt Candeia shows just how much we're missing. With wonder and an infectious enthusiasm, he takes readers on a thrilling botanical journey. His book is not merely an impassioned defense of plants, but a full-throated celebration of them.”
―Eric Wagner, author of After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens

“...the whole adventure this vibrant book offers is illuminated by the author’s own eyes-wide-open sense of wonder at the exquisite beauty and stimulating complexity of the natural world.”
―Paddy Woodworth, author of Our Once and Future Planet, University of Chicago Press

“Through his curiosity and intense passion for the natural world, Matt Candeias has neatly constructed in this book a condensation of what it feels to be the consummate plantsperson. Through this writing, as well as through his weekly podcasts, I find myself absorbed by his veneration for the magic and majesty of the floral kingdom in a manner so few are so able to achieve.”
―Daniel J Hinkley, director emeritus of the Heronswood Garden

“[In Defense of Plants] does a masterful job of bringing in a variety of important and fascinating ecological topics from restoration to biodiversity, and even gets into the weeds on issues such as pollination ecology, mycorrhiza, and plant-animal interactions.”
―Dennis Whigham, senior botanist and founding director of the North American Orchid Conservation Center

“A wonderfully eloquent defense of our fine botanical friends, indeed―authoritative, compelling, and passionate, Matt Candeias succeeds in evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom.”
―James T. Costa, PhD, executive director of the Highlands Biological Station and author of Darwin's Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory

“This book is an unapologetic celebration of the wonder of plants. And, no matter how many books about plants I’ve read, there were lots of facts that were new to me in Candeias’ book.”
―Botany One

About the Author

Matt Candeias holds an M.A. in community ecology from SUNY Buffalo State and a PhD in ecology from the University of Illinois. He is the host of the In Defense of Plants Podcast and one of seven authors on Flora: Inside the secret world of plants, a joint publication between the Smithsonian and the Royal Botanical Gargens at Kew. When he’s not tending to his houseplants, find him at yearly botanical talks in garden groups, museums, clubs, and more.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mango (February 23, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 164250453X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1642504538
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 7.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 357 ratings

About the author

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PhD Matt Candeias

PhD Matt Candeias

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My name is Matt Candeias and I run In Defense of Plants, an internationally recognized podcast and blog about plants. I was raised in the forests of northeastern North America and I am obsessed with botany. I am a community ecologist by training with a strong focus on plants. When I’m not reading, writing, or talking about plants, I am usually hiking and photographing them or trying to grow them in and around my home.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
357 global ratings
An engaging and educational read
5 Stars
An engaging and educational read
Matt Candeias’ writing style is a mix of storytelling and edification. The content is engaging and approachable, but not dumbed-down. I found myself enthralled as he wove ecological connections and frequently found myself getting inspired and then distracted by google and my desire to know more.
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Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book is a nice and easy read, a relatable story into the world of plants. Definitely something I recommend while laying in the garden. My only complaint is the pictures, the book is gorgeous, the size perfect, and font is the right style and size, but the photos all look like a newspaper clipping in black and white. Grainy, and unclear. I didn’t take off a star for that since I didn't buy this book for the photos, I bought it for the story. But it is a little disappointing to see all the effort and beauty put into this book just for the publisher to print the photos off to look like an old school newspaper clipping.
27 people found this helpful
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Mary in Sicily
5.0 out of 5 stars The most interesting botany book I have read
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
I am definitely an amateur, but my interest in plants has grown over the years and this book is far better than the classroom approach I usually see. It is full of examples of plant interactions with other plants, with fungi, and with animals. Well illustrated, too, with good photographs of many of the species discussed. At the end there are some practical suggestions for helping plants cope with the destruction humans have wrought. I hope there will be a new edition that clears up the typos and other copy-editing errors.
11 people found this helpful
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Joseph S. Sullivan
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Cool book!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021
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I am on page 92 right now and I can tell you that this is a great book. Love the style of writing and the info that I'm learning is just off the charts. Thoughout my day I think about what I have read and my mind starts to think plants. I want to know more and I know there is a lot more to go in this book. This is a book that will be part of my personal library forever.
9 people found this helpful
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SGB
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing read, highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is an incredibly fascinating book. The knowledge and passion Matt Candeias has for plants is simply incredible. I must admit, for most of my life I have not really taken an interest in plants but this book genuinely opened my eyes to a beautiful and complex world and for that, I am truly grateful and excited. I recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a new passion and/or just looking to learn something new!
13 people found this helpful
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T. Wilburn
4.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous addition to my library
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
My shelves are full of books about plants and gardening; I would not want to be without this one. It's the perfect blend of fascinating storytelling, accessible science, and thoughtful musing. If there had been more photos (and in color), I would have given this book five stars. I also agree with a previous review mentioning the typos. But at least I got a good laugh out of this one: “In these uncertain times defined by wonton habitat destruction . . . “ Those poor, poor dumplings.
7 people found this helpful
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Pipperz
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2023
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I loved how each plant described is given the awe and respect they deserve. I m
interested in how our plant communities survive . I am no scientist and I found this book interesting and motivating.
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Woody
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
Good book it gives you a different look at the plant kingdom.
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Bradley wrage
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Botanical, Humbly Human.
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2022
Verified Purchase
I like alliteration. But seriously the books author has been in my media circulation for years now. I was super excited to read this book, I bought a physical copy and the audio. It elegantly portrays the world if plants from a human and botanical/ecological perspective without being pedantic or superfluous in rhetoric. Which makes it all the more approachable. It remains one of my prized books. It's in the roster for the likes of Robin wall kimmerer, Aldo Leopold, Doug W. Tallamy, and Helen Macdonald ( and a many more) for me by reading experience. A GREAT initiation to cure your plant blindness.
14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Read
Reviewed in Canada on July 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book provides a delightfully interesting look into all of the wonders that plants are capable of. With nothing more than a bit of curiosity leading me to purchase this book, I read myself through thrilling facts and tales about a variety of plants from across the world in just a single day. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone else who wants to learn more about the fascinating nature of plants that not very many people are aware of. This book was written in a very entertaining manner, and was easily digestible.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Read
Reviewed in Canada on July 10, 2023
This book provides a delightfully interesting look into all of the wonders that plants are capable of. With nothing more than a bit of curiosity leading me to purchase this book, I read myself through thrilling facts and tales about a variety of plants from across the world in just a single day. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone else who wants to learn more about the fascinating nature of plants that not very many people are aware of. This book was written in a very entertaining manner, and was easily digestible.
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Julia
5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr interessant und mal anders als andere Pflanzen-Bücher
Reviewed in Germany on September 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
Ich finde s sehr interessant. Es ist eher eine Erzählung statt ein normales Pflanzen-Buch, die sich z.B. mehr auf wissen und weniger das Info rüberbringen kümmern. Es gibt aber trotzdem schöne Bilder die das niedergeschrieben nochmal nachvollziehbar darstellen.

Ich würde es zwar als Anfänger (so wie ich mich erinnere) nicht umbedingt lesen wollen aber wenn man sich wirklich für das 'Botanische' und nicht umbedingt das 'Ästhetische' von Pflanzen interessiert ist es ein sehr interessantes und gutes Buch. Natürlich wird die Ästhetik nicht in den Hintergrund gestellt, denn es gibt genug Fotos und Zeichnungen im Buch die es so gut machen.

Ich habe jedoch noch nicht fertiggelesen und kann nicht viel zum ganzen Buch sagen, bis jetzt jedoch hat es sich sehr gelohnt.

Es ist dazu auch noch sehr hübsch und ein kleines Buch (Taschenbuch).
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5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and researched, very readable.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2021
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The author has done a fantastic job of writing at a level that avoids becoming akin to a dry lecture whilst also steering clear of being patronising or overly simplistic. The plants written about are all fascinating, and this was a pleasure to read.
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