A work of real passion ... There is a lot of science in the book, and it is not something to be read at too much of a lick. You must follow carefully, a sip at a time ... For much of the book Haskell is a trustworthy companion, rational but not entirely rationalist, knowledgeable but understanding of what the ignorant need to know, expert but — and this may be a surprising word for a book of popular biology — kind. His emphasis is on symbiosis and communality, both between plants and with plants ... More Haskells, please, and more flowers.
Thought-provoking, free-wheeling, scintillating ... Haskell is appreciative of beauty but provides an unending series of fascinating reasons why flowers must be recognized as the true engines of the world’s advancement. An unexpected page-turner.
Passionate ... Through deep research and lyrical prose, Haskell triumphantly recasts the role of flowers as foundational to humanity. This is astonishing.
