I thought this was going to be about science and plants but it was more like a memoir it really wasn't for me.

With thanks to netgalley and the author

Sadly I didn't download this title in time.

So can't really give a review

More of an account of Michael Pollans personal experiences than containing many scientific facts, I enjoyed this audiobook, but was expecting it to be broader in the array of plants covered and contain more science facts.

This Is Your Mind On Plants is a delightful exploration of the science behind how our brains function and how plants affect our brains.

The book is split into three sections and explores our relationships with opium, caffeine, and mescaline respectively.

Pollan raises some interesting questions about what happens when we ingest psychoactive substances from plants and how that affects our mental state.

Michael Pollan is a well-known food writer who has published several bestselling books on the subject of food and cooking. In this book, he discusses how our brains work in relation to plants.

Pollan has a knack for telling a story that is both entertaining and informative. He looks at people who have made plants a central part of their lives and explores how they are experiencing the world differently than people who don't view plants as anything other than food or medicine.

For me, as an inveterate tea drinker, the most eye-opening section was about Caffeine. I also loved his Audible exclusive: 'Caffeine - How Caffeine Created the Modern World.'

Pollan has also written about the history of psychedelics in two other books: 'The Botany of Desire' and 'How to Change Your Mind.' Both are worth checking out.

This book was... kind of interesting! I can't actually remember why I requested it but it was interesting, up to a point. Remember that because this review will probably be quite negative after this (sorry!).

I had one big(gish) problem with it. During the chapter on Mescaline, Pollan basically insinuates that women are probably not as impressed by the 'sort of radical nothing' that is part of a hallucinogenic experience. It sort of came out of nowhere - and there was no substantiation for it, so it felt like Pollan having a dig at woman. Now, I'm sure it wasn't intended to come across like that but... well, it did. I read rather skeptically from them on.

Another problem, for me, was the blend of science and memoir. I like memoir. I like science. I don't like one trying to masquerade as the other. Which this totally was. I thought it was about science, but the science was pretty minimal and it was heavier on his individual experiences. That would have been okay - if that's what the book had been billed as (ie. a memoir). But it wasn't, so I ended up pretty frustrated if I'm honest. Memoir masquerading as science...

Anyway, it covers mostly three plant-based drugs: opium, caffeine and mescaline. The opiate section had potential, but there was a lot about his experience growing poppies for opium and loopholes in the law etc which - sorry - I wasn't too into. We get to learn <i>some</i> stuff about caffeine, but we learn more about him giving up coffee for three months (*yawn*). The mescaline section had quite a bit about history with Native Americans, but also a lot of (wait for it) - his own experiences.

Are you sensing a pattern here?

Anyway, it wasn't for me - but it might be for you! I listened to this as an audiobook, and one of the stars is for the reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the copy!

A terrific book that is performed with both erudite wit and enthusiasm by the author. Pollan makes the argument that we need to radically rethink relationships with plants, especially ones that affect our minds. It is a wide-ranging book that underlines how non-sensical and shortsighted western drug laws are. The chapter on poppies was especially enlightening going from the ease from which poppy tea can be made to the decidedly racist origins of the ongoing war on drugs.

Told from a deeply personal point of view, Pollan's book is not short of scholarly or journalistic rigour. This is a gardener asking why it is some plants are illegal for him to grow and what that says about our society.

A must-listen for anyone who is interested in nature, drugs policy, or, human history.

Absolutely enthralled by this book. Some very interesting points were made and I found it very informative

This is a thoughtful book that takes a look a three drugs that play a large part in cultures of the US, legal, illegal, and ambiguous: caffeine, opiates, and peyote. Pollan's viewpoint is that of a journalist and a user, and offers a great deal of reflection on these drugs, their role in his life and the anecdotal effect on him. This book is not however scientific, so if you're looking for in-depth discussions of the biological processes caused by these plants, this is probably not the book for you.

I personally found the opiates chapter the most fascinating of the three as it explores the confused nature of laws and their interpretation around personally growing poppies, as well as positing interesting theories about the particular war on opium in the 90s. The caffeine chapter lacked some depth, and definitely saw things with an American perspective (particularly in perceptions around tea). The chapter on peyote and its family of 'medicines' was somewhat confusing: the author seemed to battle with himself on what would constitute appropriation, deciding to avoid ceremonies, but then culminating his experience with a ceremony. Perhaps he wasn't the right person to write on the personal experience of this particular medicine.

Otherwise, this book provides a thoughtful exploration of substance that offers an alternative view to much of the official rhetoric that surrounds drugs.

I have to admit I struggled with this audio book. I think it might have been better as a book as I could have dipped in an out. The author narrates throughout and draws on previously published items as well as new. I really wanted to like it, but admit defeat.

Interesting and engaging discussion of the use of plants as drugs, including the type of effects and why some are considered more socially acceptable than others. The author focuses on three plant produced drugs: opium, caffeine and mescaline, to represent the three broad categories of psychoactive compounds :sedative, stimulant, and hallucinogen.

The audiobook for This is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollen was kindly made available to me by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This is Your Mind on Plants is a book that delves into the history that we as humans have with three specific types of psychoactive plant substances: opium, caffeine and mescaline. The author comes from a background of journalism, with a specific interest in the effects that plants have on our societies in all the possible forms. He states that the reason for choosing the three specific substances is that one is an upper, one a downer and the last one is one that he described as an "outer" - something that takes you out of your own consciousness.

As someone who likes to read about neuroscience and what the physical repercussions are of things we willingly ingest, this was a bit of a let down. The book is definitely less scientific than one would think and focuses more on the social history of each of these elements. The voice used to write is really easy to follow and the narrative is quite interesting, however it does feel like it fell a little bit short on the scientific side. It also feels disjointed in the sense that all the parts were written in vastly different periods of the author's life. Therefore there wasn't really a sense of stylistic cohesion.

The first part of this book focuses on opium and this was by far the most difficult part for me to get through. Instead of discussing the effects of opium on the body, this part is mostly biographical and tells of the author's escapades with the law and with finding out how illegal the plant it comes from is. This made me almost give up on the book, fearing that the rest would also be written in this style.

The second part, and my favourite, was on caffeine. This was the part that the author actually gave a proper history and scientific explanation of the compound and even experimented on himself by cutting off his own intake. The effects were quite interesting and the input by Matthew Walker (Why We Sleep) also made this part more substantial in information on how we should view the consumption of caffeine in our lives.

The last part was again more journalistic in nature, and covered something completely new to me - mescaline. The reason for this chapter being less scientific and also less practical was due to Covid related restrictions in travelling as well as the restrictions on the "medicines" that contain this compound. Mescaline is mostly prominent in Native American ritual medicines and the amount of information that Michael Pollen could gather in a Covid restricted world was quite impressive.

Overall the book is quite informative, if not as science heavy as I personally would have liked. But I would still recommend it to anyone who would like to find out more about why these different substances are so deeply entrenched in our societies and how they affect us in our daily lives.

Although interesting, relevant and written by a clearly knowledgeable author, it didn't suit the audiobook media. Consequently, I sampled rather than listened to this in its entirety and did not finish.
I received an audiobook copy of this book from Penguin (Allen Lane) via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Format: audiobook
Author: Michael Pollan ~ Title: This Is Your Mind On Plants ~ Narrator: Michael Pollan
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

This time, an international bestselling author Michael Pollan introduces us to three drugs derived from plants and their effects on humans: opium, caffeine, and mescaline. He also shares his experiences with these three plants.

I am, like many, a caffeine addict, and I'm aware of it. But even though I'm not interested in the consumption of other substances, I find this audiobook to be very interesting. This Is Your Mind On Plants is a mix of science, history, and memoir. It is full of facts, myths, and personal experiences of the author. Narrated by the author himself and his narration is very good and engaging.

Thanks to the publisher Penguin Random House UK Audio for the ARC and the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘This Is Your Mind on Plants: Opium—Caffeine—Mescaline’ by Michael Pollan in exchange for an honest review. Michael Pollan also narrated the audiobook, which has a running time of 7 hours, 37 minutes at 1x speed.

This proved a fascinating blend of history, science, memoir and participatory journalism. Pollan has a refreshing, down-to-Earth approach to the subject with even the title making the point that all three of these psychoactive substances are derived from plants and therefore naturally occurring rather than synthetic.

He discusses the complex legal status in the United States that is associated with the poppies that produce opium and the cacti from which mescaline is derived. Having caffeine in between the two more controversial substances was quite clever as obviously it is legal to buy and consume. He highlighted the fact that an addiction to caffeine via consumption of tea, coffee, and cola is considered quite socially acceptable.

The history associated with all three substances was especially interesting to me. I had more familiarity with the historical background of opium and mescaline but knew almost nothing about caffeine apart from the rise of coffee shops in the 17th-18th centuries. That tea shops and the concept of afternoon tea also had a cultural impact had passed me by. The main text is rounded out with a select bibliography and index.

With respect to the audiobook, I feel that works of nonfiction are well suited to the audio format especially when combined with reading. I seem to absorb more information this way. In addition, having the author as its narrator stressed what a personal account this was.

Overall, an informative and thought provoking book. I am definitely interested in reading more of Michael Pollan’s work.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

What is a socially acceptable drug? Michael Pollan tries to help us understand this question, (sharing that it is a blurred line only defined by laws, government and what they deem 'socially acceptable').
So what are your plant "taboos"? Do you take homeopathic or alternative/natural medicines? Are medically prescribed (opiates etc), acceptable or do you hide their use? Do you know the rules as each government keeps changing the rules? In USA this is even more complex as the states have their own accepted drugs which may differ from those of the government.
The author relates some international and historical reflections on these issues.
As an American he focuses more on his own stories, experiences rather than an international one. The audiobook is based on the results of the American 'war on drugs' and how it has eroded people's rights.
The audiobook is narrated well, his shock at his findings and research is clear. The lack of any clear guidance in the USA is made obvious as he relates all the checks he makes with different legal agencies, getting different, muddled or confused responses. He uses an anecdote to illustrate how arbitrary this law is in ‘the war on drugs’ in the USA:
'It's as if they had on the books a 20 mph speed limit that was never posted, never enforced, never even talked about. There's no way for you to know that this is the law. Then they pick someone out.
"You were going 50, don't you know the speed limit is 20? You broke the law, you're going to Jail".
You say "But nobody else is being stopped."
"That doesn't matter this is the law and we have the discretion. The fact that your car is covered with political bumper stickers, that we don't like, has nothing to do with it. This isn't about free speech." '

The writing feels a bit docudrama style in places rather than a non-fiction text about plants’ and humans’ relationships.
I would recommend this as something to listen to on a long walk or to keep you company and has some gardening and botanical parts. It's not one thing or the other and is almost a reference to all the texts you should read up on. This is not a serious text which is scientific or analytical with lots of research quoted.
If this subject interests you then this is an interesting listen and is read engagingly.
I received a free copy from netgally.co.uk for my fair an

3.5

Despite this straying far from what is says on the tin, err I mean what is says in the blurb, Michael Pollan is a great storyteller, and I've enjoyed this more that I though I will after the first few minutes of listening.

I will start by saying that the books lack cohesion. While Caffeine and Mescaline seems to be built on a similar frame, Opium has a different format, but if you ignore that, it still fits in the greater 'picture'. This is due to the fact that each part has been written at different times and collected here because they cover a somewhat similar subject: plant drugs and our relationship with them, rather than being new material written specifically for this book.

Secondly, I feel it's important to mention that this is by no means a scientific work. It is a journalistic approach to a wide subject, combining scientific facts with history, urban lore, personal experience(that of the author and various persons that he has interviewed) and even touches on law. As a cynic would expect from a journalist, Pollan cannot help himself and makes some eye rolling assumptions like: <>, <>, <>.

Opium is the weakest part of the book and in fact the least fitting as apart from a couple of minutes were we find out how one feels after drinking poppy tea, the piece strays far from "your mind on plants" mantra. But despite that, I've appreciated this part because it shows perfectly well how ridiculous the war on drugs is and how at time it seems more like fantasy than reality.

Caffeine is the most extensive part and the one I really really enjoyed. It is full of historical facts and lore, some research into the positive and negative effects associated with caffeine use, and the author's personal experience of caffeine withdrawal. Even the dark side of it is covered from slavery to today's fair trade protocols. Also interesting to see the effects of temperature rising on this much loved crop. I can go as far as saying that this section really makes the book.

Mescaline is to a certain extent build on the same frame as caffeine. But the lack of historical evidence paired with a pandemic raging on the world, forced the author to get creative and show us instead that this world holds a lot of wonder if we'd just stop to look and maybe take some mescaline, lol. I'd say this section falls short of the premise of the book, and his attempts to demonstrate that mescaline is an essential part of the Natives' culture, what it means for them and also that it verges on 'cultural appropriation is rather unconvincing.

Despite my criticism and the somewhat misleading blurb, 'This is Your Mind on Plants' is a fascinating foray into an exciting subject. I would recommend the audiobook, as the author really is a great storyteller and his narration is spot on.

Many thanks for the opportunity to listen to this Audiobook.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was gifted this book by Penguin Random House UK Audio through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book explores the authors experience with three specific plant based drugs; opium, caffeine and mescaline.

The book is nicely split into three distinct parts, one for each topic and reads like more of a memoir with added factual tidbits.

The author explains his background and introduction to the drug, interviews relevant experts and then states how he either partakes or abstains as his experiment warrants.

The only one of the three drugs I have experience with is caffeine and I did find the section on the history of how caffeine became a staple of modern life interesting.

Overall, an enjoyable read, although this was different to what I expected and did not go as heavily into the science as I’d hoped.

As an avid reader of books about the Victorian era, I'm no stranger to opium - purely in the context of reading, you understand, rather than personal experience! I am, however, a confirmed and accepting caffeine addict so this book - focused on opium, caffeine and mescaline - sounded absolutely fascinating. I duly downloaded the audiobook and got stuck in...

The book is divided into three sections, each focusing on one of the key plant-based drugs. Although all of them were interesting in different ways, I did find this made for a slightly disjointed book and my thoughts on each separate element varied a lot. This is especially true given that the three sections take very different approaches. Pollan is a writer, keen gardener and - it transpires - quite willing to experience the effects of the various plants in the name of research! The book, therefore, covers lots of bases, from science to history, gardening to memoir.

The first section, on opium, charts his experiences with growing opium poppies and the rather ambiguous position regarding the legalities of this in America. Indeed, a lot of this section is about the technicalities of growing opium in the eyes of the law - you can buy the seeds legally, but planting and harvesting them are much greyer areas. Pollan engagingly asks the question about where the line between legal and illegal is drawn in an America which was just embarking on its experiences of the opioid Oxycontin - amateur gardeners may be getting in trouble for cultivating 'papaver somniferum' but the Sackler family were legally distributing the drug to millions.

The section about caffeine was the one that I found the most interesting - I'm a fairly heavy user of coffee and Pollan's insights into coffee withdrawal, effect on sleep and the morals of caffeine gave me plenty of food for thought. I'd never even considered that caffeine really had a moral question, but Pollan's focus on the 'big picture' was really interesting - the fact that caffeine is linked to productivity, breaks our circadian rhythms, plus has links to both slavery and Empire. This bit of the book is packed with interesting historical information and opened my eyes to the impact of caffeine, such as the advent of coffee houses in the 17th century driving innovation and creativity. From Voltaire consuming (reportedly) 72 cups of coffee a day to the fact that the modern sleep experts that Pollan spoke to drink none (hmm, slightly worrying for me...) - there was plenty to think about.

The third section is about mescaline, a drug derived from cacti and used within Native American populations as part of their religious ceremonies. This bit of the book is more memoir, with Pollan charting his own instances of using the drug and participating in traditional ceremonies using the hallucinogen. I'm sure it is an interesting thing to experience, but the recounting of it is a little like the drug narratives of 1970s fiction which also didn't really float my boat - it's a bit like hearing someone recall their dreams in vivid detail. Not always fun to listen to, although Pollan is an engaging tour guide regardless.

The audiobook is narrated by the author himself, something I enjoyed as he is a lively and engaging reader. It feels like a personal chat with him about his experiences with these plants and I did race through the book. It is a very easy listen and I felt that I learnt lots from my knowledgeable and entertaining guide.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who has an interest in plants, medicine, history, law or who just fancies an interesting jaunt through a fascinating topic. If I had one criticism, it is that it tries to be too many things - my personal preference is for the discursive and historical slant of the caffeine section of the book, but I am sure others will appreciate different aspects. Well worth a read!

In his latest book on the plant-people relationship, author, journalist and avid amateur gardener Michael Pollan turns his eye to the opium poppy, caffeine (derived from Coffea arabica) and mescaline (from the peyote cactus)..

Each of these drugs are either, as he puts it, an upper, downer or 'outer'. His exploration takes in their political and socio-cultural history, highlighting the arbitrary nature of their public reputation. As ever, Pollan can't resist getting up close and personal with the plants.

The author has an engagingly anecdotal writing style.

The audiobook, narrated by Pollan, made me feel I was sharing a coffee with the author.

Well produced and highly entertaining.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for the ARC.

Audio arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review



Michael Pollan narrated his own audio and it worked really well. When author's have decent voices and read well, it can work better than hiring a narrator since the author knows exactly the intonation and delivery they want and exactly how they want to convey the information. Pollan was interesting to listen to and having him narrate his own book added a personal touch.





The book itself is fascinating. I have a life long interest in plants (which resulted in a degree in plant biology and genetics), though only a theoretical knowledge of psychotropic/ psychedelic plant substances! My interest in plants was kindled as a very young child by my father - who clearly thought that if his children were going to roam wild in rural Dorset, they ought to know which plants were poisonous and which were safe if handled respectfully. The idea that a plant could be a thing of beauty, a source of food, a source of medicine and an organism which helped renew the soil and assist the overall ecosystem took root early. I'm not sure how Pollan got into plants but the way he speaks about them echoes my own feelings and thoughts. There is as much poetry in the science when you know it as there is feeling in the poetry surrounding plants.



This book focuses on mind altering substances derived from prepared plants. Pollan has not been shy about experimenting either - something which I have never really wanted to do. Specifically, these substances change how you, the ingestor of said plant, perceive reality. Weaving together strands of history, culture, law and religion, Pollan looks at the human fascination with being able to take short trips to Wonderland. He does not obfuscate the perils nor does he downplay the benefits. There's certainly a lot of evidence that psychedelics can assist with a number of mental issues such as PTSD and depression. Finally, he discusses the questionable practice of making some plant substances illegal and calling them 'drugs' when very similar, potentially more harmful substances are manufactured, licensed and sold enriching Big Pharma. The law around these substances is idiosyncratic, capricious and badly enforced. And ultimately futile because it is a war on human desire. While laws such as those that protect Native American rights with regard to Peyote must remain in place, other laws are somewhat asinine. I am curious to find out what the corresponding situation is here in UK (although we don't really have the climate for growing Peyote!)



Overall a fascinating book, told in an accessible and engaging manner. Very enjoyable. Highly recommend if you have an interest in this area