The Rise of Seeds 2.0

Hanson T. 2015. The triumph of seeds. New York: Basic Books. 277.

Reading Thor Hanson is like a breath of fresh air after reading Pollan. While they have similar styles, focusing on one plant to tell a larger story, I find myself much more engaged in Hanson’s writing. Throughout Hanson’s story of seed defense, he keeps the content digestible while still engaging the reader intellectually. There were times when reading Hanson that I found myself chuckling and other times when I found myself deeply invested in the pathway ricin takes to destroy our cells. Throughout the chapter, Hanson pulls on references to pop culture (like Beatrix Potter and JRR Tolkien) to further connect to the reader and engage their prior knowledge.

Hanson uses analogies throughout the chapter to demonstrate take home points. One of my favourite examples of this is his use of square dancing as a description of co-evolution: “Relationships like those between rodents and seeds develop in the midst of something more like a square dance, with couples constantly switching partners in a whirl of spins, promenades, and do-si-dos” (pg 115). This analogy reinforces the idea that evolution never happens in a vacuum, but instead with countless factors all influencing the same outcome. Another example is his reference back to the baby plant in a box analogy: “Once mother plants began packing lunches for their babies, everything from dinosaurs to fungi wanted a taste, and the evolution of seed defences became inevitable” (pg 123). This quote sets up most of Hanson’s argument for the next 3 chapters of the book.

Hanson has a knack for catching the reader at the end of the chapter and luring them into reading further. He provides a brief segue at the end to entice the reader: “If plants could successfully protect their babies just by building a better box, then there would be no point in drinking coffee, Tabasco sauce would be tasteless, and Christopher Columbus would never have sailed for America” (pg 127). By adding these brief connections between the current topic and the next topic, Hanson keeps the reader wanting to turn the page to learn more. The same thing is done at chapters 10 and 11. The end of chapter 11 had me disappointed that I didn’t have to read anymore. I was caught up in the story and ready to hear what Hanson had learned about the coevolution of almendro.

Hanson’s description of both scene and characters keep the reader interested. His description of Noelle shows the reader how incredibly passionate she is about the research she does: “When the conversation turned to chillies, all signs if fatigue disappeared” (pg 134). The reader can grasp that this is truly what Noelle loves doing. The descriptive language is there again when Hanson describes Slate. I could almost see the building and the group huddled around to learn about coffee.