A short life of the author
Michael Pollan (b. 1955) was born on 6 February 1955 on Long Island, New York. He studied English at Bennington College and Columbia University. He is the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley and a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine.
Life and Career
Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education (1991) and A Place of My Own (1997) established his method: first-person investigation of how humans interact with nature. The Botany of Desire (2001) — about four plants (apple, tulip, marijuana, potato) and how they have domesticated humans as much as humans have domesticated them — was his first bestseller.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006) — which follows four meals from origin to plate: industrial corn, organic, foraged, and hunted — transformed the national conversation about food. It exposed the industrial food system’s dependence on corn, its environmental costs, and its disconnection from the biological world. It was named one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times.
In Defense of Food (2008) — “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” — distilled his food philosophy into a manifesto. Food Rules (2009) went even further. Cooked (2013) — about the four transformations of cooking (fire, water, air, earth) — was adapted as a Netflix series.
How to Change Your Mind (2018) — about the science and history of psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, DMT) and their therapeutic potential — was a #1 bestseller and was adapted as a Netflix docuseries.
Major Works and Themes
Pollan writes about the relationships between humans and nature — particularly the relationship mediated by food and consciousness-altering plants. His great gift is making complex science accessible and personally relevant.
Key Works
- The Botany of Desire (2001)
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006)
- How to Change Your Mind (2018)
Collecting Pollan
The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006, Penguin Press) brings $20–$50. The Botany of Desire (2001, Random House) brings $20–$60.