Second Nature

A Gardener's Education

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Michael Pollan

In his articles and in best-selling books such as The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan has established himself as one of our most important and beloved writers on modern man's place in the natural world. A new literary classic, Second Nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere.

Chosen by the American Horticultural Society as one of the 75 greatest books ever written about gardening, Second Nature captures the rhythms of our everyday engagement with the outdoors in all its glory and exasperation. With chapters ranging from a reconsideration of the Great American Lawn, a dispatch from one man's war with a woodchuck, to an essay about the sexual politics of roses, Pollan has created a passionate and eloquent argument for reconceiving our relationship with nature.

©2003 Michael Pollan (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“ Second Nature reads like brilliant entertainment, but it is serious wisdom. Michael Pollan…is a genuine heir to my favorite nature writer, Mark Twain.” (Simon Schama, The Boston Globe)

another great book by Micheal Pollan

I've loved all of Pollans books and this is no exception.....of course, it's much better with him reading it..... Worth the time to listen

Who knew gardening could bring such insight!

This was an absolutely great listen. The author's reading of the book was smooth and flowing and conveyed real knowledge and passion about his subject matter.
I was especially impressed by the depth of knowledge. His insight into the extremist views of those who think they understand nature are spot-on. If gardening truly brings such insight I should have started long ago!

After finishing this book I immediately began recommending it to friends and family.

Second Nature

Wonderful relatable story, intelligent conversationalist.
Someone I wish I had for a neighbor to converse with. :)

Funny, witty, informative: The perfect garden book

I’m no stranger to Michael Pollan’s writing, but I particularly enjoyed this one. I also appreciated that he performed it as I enjoy the soothing nature of his voice.

Michael Pollan makes me feel smarter.

In this book, as in every book of his I have read, Michael Pollan puts my experiences and aspirations into words I have not had the capacity (or time) to develop. He tells me how I feel about my garden, about the food I eat, and how to open my mind. And sometimes what he tells me about myself are my own original thoughts.

He writes with great ease and I feel like he is speaking right to me. He does his homework and he puts deep thought into the interconnectedness of everything with everything else in time and space. In a world that seems to value intellectual growth less and less, Michael Pollan makes it virtuous again. How else will we be better than we are if we don't explore where we have been, why we have built the conventions of our societies in the way we have, and why we should re-think them to fit our lives and times?