Daniel Chamovitz, Ph.D., is the director of the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University. He has served as a visiting scientist at Yale University and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and has lectured at universities around the world. His research has appeared in leading scientific journals. Chamovitz lives with his wife and three children in Hod HaSharon, Israel.
Of the dozens of books I read in 2012, several stand out. But
there's one I keep coming back to, thumbing through it, letting
people know about it. It's Daniel Chamovitz's "What A Plant Knows:
A Field Guide to the Senses . . . "It's incredibly interesting
material, presented in an entertaining and fun way -- in about only
140 pages. "What A Plant Knows" is a nice fit on my shelf of
gardening books -- and that's where it will stay. Although I've
recommended the book to several people, I've ungraciously not let
them borrow my copy. I fear I won't get it back. "Chicago Tribune"
The reader...will find enough absorbing science to concede that
plants continue to inspire and amaze us. It's time, as Joni
Mitchell sang at Woodstock, 'to get ourselves back to the garden'
and take a closer look at plants. "The Wall Street Journal" This
elegantly written account of plant biology will change the way you
see your garden...Chamovitz lets us see plants in a new light, one
which reveals their true wonder. "The Guardian" Thick with
eccentric plant experiments and astonishing plant science. "Sunday
Times (UK)" Plants may be brainless, eyeless and devoid of senses
as we know them, but they have a rudimentary 'awareness', says
biologist Daniel Chamovitz. In this beautiful reframing of the
botanical, he reveals the extent and kind of that awareness through
a bumper crop of research. "Nature" For everyone who has wondered
at "Mimosa," the suddenly snapping Venus flytrap or the way a
sunflower's head unerringly turns to follow the sun, Daniel
Chamovitz has written the perfect book. "American Scientist" [A]
fascinating inside look at what a plant's life is like, and a new
lens on our own place in nature. "Maria Popova, Brain Pickings"
Verdict: Plant-astic. "Herald Sun (Australia)" This well-researched
book makes the compelling argument that plants "know" a lot more
than most people give them credit for . . . Chamovitz eloquently
elucidates that scientific evidence that proves it in
easy-to-understand terms. "The American Gardener" Chamovitz's book
is pop science at its best, full of vivid examples of barely
imaginable ways of living "BBC Wildlife" In a lively and delightful
discourse that aligns botany with human biology, [Chamovitz]
articulates his findings, about plants and the senses in
accessible, often whimsical observations that make complex science
not only comprehensible but fun to ponder. "Booklist" [A] handy
guide to our own senses as well as those of plants. "Audubon" An
intriguing and scientific--but easy to read--look at how plants
experience life. "Gardens Illustrated" [Chamovitz] gently hints
that we should have a greater appreciation of plants' complexity
and perceptiveness . . . If plants can see, smell, feel, know where
they are, and remember, then perhaps they do possess some kind of
intelligence. Maybe that is worth reflecting on the next time you
casually stroll past a plant. "Chelsie Eller, Science" Like us, a
plant that aspires to win the rat race must exploit its
environment. Even a daffodil can detect when you're standing in its
light, and a rhododendron knows when you're savaging its neighbor
with the pruning shears. With deftness and clarity, Daniel
Chamovitz introduces plants' equivalent of our senses, plus floral
forms of memory and orientation. When you realize how much plants
know, you may think twice before you bite them. "Hannah Holmes,
author of Quirk and Suburban Safari" Just as his groundbreaking
research uncovered connections between the plant- and animal
kingdoms, Daniel Chamovitz's insights in "What a Plant Knows"
transcend the world of plants. This entertaining and educational
book is filled with wondrous examples that underscore how the
legacy of shared genomes enables plants and animals to respond to
their environments. You'll see plants in a new light after reading
"What a Plant Knows." "Gloria M. Coruzzi, Carroll and Milton Petrie
Professor, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York
University" If you've ever marveled at how and why plants make the
choices they do, "What a Plant Knows" holds your answer. Chamovitz
is a master at translating the science of botany into the language
of the layman. "Michael Malice, author, subject of Ego & Hubris,
and succulent enthusiast" Chamovitz walks the "Homo sapiens" reader
right into the shoes--or I should say roots--of the plant world.
After reading this book you will never again walk innocently past a
plant or reach insensitively for a leaf. You will marvel and be
haunted by a plant's sensory attributes and the shared genes
between the plant and animals kingdoms. "Elisabeth Tova Bailey,
author of The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating" "What a Plant Knows" is
lively, eloquent, scientifically accurate, and easy to read. I
commend this engaging text to all who wonder about life on earth
and seek a compelling introduction to the lives of plants as
revealed through centuries of careful scientific experimentation.
"Professor Stephen D. Hopper, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew"
A fascinating book that explores accessibly the evidence that
plants share more properties with animals than most people
appreciate. It may come as a relief to vegetarians to learn that
plants do not feel pain or suffer, in the human sense, when
harvested. Nevertheless, after reading "What a Plant Knows," we
wanted to apologize to our daffodils for the times when our shadows
have shielded them from the Sun. "John and Mary Gribbin, authors of
The Flower Hunters" By comparing human senses to the abilities of
plants to adapt to their surroundings, the author provides a
fascinating and logical explanation of how plants survive despite
the inability to move from one site to another. Backed by new
research on plant biology, this is an intriguing look at a plant's
consciousness. "Kirkus""
One of "Chicago Tribune"'s Favorite Books of 2012 A "Los Angeles
Times" 2012 Summer Reading Selection
"Of the dozens of books I read in 2012, several stand out. But
there's one I keep coming back to, thumbing through it, letting
people know about it. It's Daniel Chamovitz's "What A Plant Knows:
A Field Guide to the Senses . . . "It's incredibly interesting
material, presented in an entertaining and fun way -- in about only
140 pages. "What A Plant Knows" is a nice fit on my shelf of
gardening books -- and that's where it will stay. Although I've
recommended the book to several people, I've ungraciously not let
them borrow my copy. I fear I won't get it back." --"Chicago
Tribune"
"The reader...will find enough absorbing science to concede that
plants continue to inspire and amaze us. It's time, as Joni
Mitchell sang at Woodstock, 'to get ourselves back to the garden'
and take a closer look at plants." --"The Wall Street Journal
"
"This elegantly written account of plant biology will change the
way you see your garden...Chamovitz lets us see plants in a new
light, one which reveals their true wonder." --"The Guardian"
"Thick with eccentric plant experiments and astonishing plant
science." --"Sunday Times" (UK)
"Plants may be brainless, eyeless and devoid of senses as we know
them, but they have a rudimentary 'awareness', says biologist
Daniel Chamovitz. In this beautiful reframing of the botanical, he
reveals the extent and kind of that awareness through a bumper crop
of research." --"Nature
""For everyone who has wondered at "Mimosa," the suddenly snapping
Venus flytrap or the way a sunflower's head unerringly turns to
follow the sun, Daniel Chamovitz has written the perfect book."
--"American Scientist
""[A] fascinating inside look at what a plant's life is like, and a
new lens on our own place in nature." --Maria Popova, "Brain
Pickings
"
"Verdict: Plant-astic." --"Herald Sun" (Australia)
"This well-researched book makes the compelling argument that
plants "know" a lot more than most people give them credit for . .
. Chamovitz eloquently elucidates that scientific evidence that
proves it in easy-to-understand terms." --"The American
Gardener"
"Chamovitz's book is pop science at its best, full of vivid
examples of barely imaginable ways of living" --"BBC Wildlife
""In a lively and delightful discourse that aligns botany with
human biology, [Chamovitz] articulates his findings, about plants
and the senses in accessible, often whimsical observations that
make complex science not only comprehensible but fun to ponder."
--"Booklist
""[A] handy guide to our own senses as well as those of plants."
--"Audubon
""An intriguing and scientific--but easy to read--look at how
plants experience life." --"Gardens Illustrated
"
"[Chamovitz] gently hints that we should have a greater
appreciation of plants' complexity and perceptiveness . . . If
plants can see, smell, feel, know where they are, and remember,
then perhaps they do possess some kind of intelligence. Maybe that
is worth reflecting on the next time you casually stroll past a
plant." --Chelsie Eller, "Science
""Like us, a plant that aspires to win the rat race must exploit
its environment. Even a daffodil can detect when you're standing in
its light, and a rhododendron knows when you're savaging its
neighbor with the pruning shears. With deftness and clarity, Daniel
Chamovitz introduces plants' equivalent of our senses, plus floral
forms of memory and orientation. When you realize how much plants
know, you may think twice before you bite them." --Hannah Holmes,
author of" Quirk" and" Suburban Safari"
"Just as his groundbreaking research uncovered connections between
the plant- and animal kingdoms, Daniel Chamovitz's insights in
"What a Plant Knows" transcend the world of plants. This
entertaining and educational book is filled with wondrous examples
that underscore how the legacy of shared genomes enables plants and
animals to respond to their environments. You'll see plants in a
new light after reading "What a Plant Knows."" --Gloria M. Coruzzi,
Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor, Center for Genomics and
Systems Biology, New York University
"If you've ever marveled at how and why plants make the choices
they do, "What a Plant Knows" holds your answer. Chamovitz is a
master at translating the science of botany into the language of
the layman." --Michael Malice, author, subject of "Ego & Hubris,"
and succulent enthusiast
"Chamovitz walks the "Homo sapiens" reader right into the shoes--or
I should say roots--of the plant world. After reading this book you
will never again walk innocently past a plant or reach
insensitively for a leaf. You will marvel and be haunted by a
plant's sensory attributes and the shared genes between the plant
and animals kingdoms." --Elisabeth Tova Bailey, author of "The
Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
"""What a Plant Knows" is lively, eloquent, scientifically
accurate, and easy to read. I commend this engaging text to all who
wonder about life on earth and seek a compelling introduction to
the lives of plants as revealed through centuries of careful
scientific experimentation." --Professor Stephen D. Hopper,
Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
"A fascinating book that explores accessibly the evidence that
plants share more properties with animals than most people
appreciate. It may come as a relief to vegetarians to learn that
plants do not feel pain or suffer, in the human sense, when
harvested. Nevertheless, after reading "What a Plant Knows," we
wanted to apologize to our daffodils for the times when our shadows
have shielded them from the Sun." --John and Mary Gribbin, authors
of "The Flower Hunters
""By comparing human senses to the abilities of plants to adapt to
their surroundings, the author provides a fascinating and logical
explanation of how plants survive despite the inability to move
from one site to another. Backed by new research on plant biology,
this is an intriguing look at a plant's consciousness."
--"Kirkus"""""
One of Amazon's Ten Best Science & Math Books of 2012 One of
"Chicago Tribune"'s Favorite Books of 2012 A "Los Angeles Times"
2012 Summer Reading Selection
"Of the dozens of books I read in 2012, several stand out. But
there's one I keep coming back to, thumbing through it, letting
people know about it. It's Daniel Chamovitz's "What A Plant Knows:
A Field Guide to the Senses . . . "It's incredibly interesting
material, presented in an entertaining and fun way -- in about only
140 pages. "What A Plant Knows" is a nice fit on my shelf of
gardening books -- and that's where it will stay. Although I've
recommended the book to several people, I've ungraciously not let
them borrow my copy. I fear I won't get it back." --"Chicago
Tribune"
"The reader...will find enough absorbing science to concede that
plants continue to inspire and amaze us. It's time, as Joni
Mitchell sang at Woodstock, 'to get ourselves back to the garden'
and take a closer look at plants." --"The Wall Street Journal
"
"This elegantly written account of plant biology will change the
way you see your garden...Chamovitz lets us see plants in a new
light, one which reveals their true wonder." --"The Guardian"
"Thick with eccentric plant experiments and astonishing plant
science." --"Sunday Times" (UK)
"Plants may be brainless, eyeless and devoid of senses as we know
them, but they have a rudimentary 'awareness', says biologist
Daniel Chamovitz. In this beautiful reframing of the botanical, he
reveals the extent and kind of that awareness through a bumper crop
of research." --"Nature
""For everyone who has wondered at "Mimosa," the suddenly snapping
Venus flytrap or the way a sunflower's head unerringly turns to
follow the sun, Daniel Chamovitz has written the perfect book."
--"American Scientist
""[A] fascinating inside look at what a plant's life is like, and a
new lens on our own place in nature." --Maria Popova, "Brain
Pickings
"
"Verdict: u
A "Los Angeles Times" 2012 Summer Reading Selection
"The reader...will find enough absorbing science to concede that
plants continue to inspire and amaze us. It's time, as Joni
Mitchell sang at Woodstock, 'to get ourselves back to the garden'
and take a closer look at plants." --"The Wall Street Journal
"
"This elegantly written account of plant biology will change the
way you see your garden...Chamovitz lets us see plants in a new
light, one which reveals their true wonder." --"The Guardian"
"Thick with eccentric plant experiments and astonishing plant
science." --"Sunday Times" (UK)
"Plants may be brainless, eyeless and devoid of senses as we know
them, but they have a rudimentary 'awareness', says biologist
Daniel Chamovitz. In this beautiful reframing of the botanical, he
reveals the extent and kind of that awareness through a bumper crop
of research." --"Nature
""For everyone who has wondered at "Mimosa," the suddenly snapping
Venus flytrap or the way a sunflower's head unerringly turns to
follow the sun, Daniel Chamovitz has written the perfect book."
--"American Scientist
""[A] fascinating inside look at what a plant's life is like, and a
new lens on our own place in nature." --Maria Popova, "Brain
Pickings
"
"Verdict: Plant-astic." --"Herald Sun" (Australia)
"Chamovitz's book is pop science at its best, full of vivid
examples of barely imaginable ways of living" --"BBC Wildlife
""In a lively and delightful discourse that aligns botany with
human biology, [Chamovitz] articulates his findings, about plants
and the senses in accessible, often whimsical observations that
make complex science not only comprehensible but fun to ponder."
--"Booklist
""[A] handy guide to our own senses as well as those of plants."
--"Audubon
""An intriguing and scientific--but easy to read--look at how
plants experience life." --"Gardens Illustrated
"
"[Chamovitz] gently hints that we should have am
"The reader...will find enough absorbing science to concede that
plants continue to inspire and amaze us. It's time, as Joni
Mitchell sang at Woodstock, 'to get ourselves back to the garden'
and take a closer look at plants." --"The Wall Street Journal
""This elegantly written account of plant biology will change the
way you see your garden...Chamovitz lets us see plants in a new
light, one which reveals their true wonder." --"The Guardian""Thick
with eccentric plant experiments and astonishing plant science."
--"Sunday Times" (UK)
"Plants may be brainless, eyeless and devoid of senses as we know
them, but they have a rudimentary 'awareness', says biologist
Daniel Chamovitz. In this beautiful reframing of the botanical, he
reveals the extent and kind of that awareness through a bumper crop
of research." --"Nature
""For everyone who has wondered at "Mimosa," the suddenly snapping
Venus flytrap or the way a sunflower's head unerringly turns to
follow the sun, Daniel Chamovitz has written the perfect book."
--"American Scientist""Like us, a plant that aspires to win the rat
race must exploit its environment. Even a daffodil can detect when
you're standing in its light, and a rhododendron knows when you're
savaging its neighbor with the pruning shears. With deftness and
clarity, Daniel Chamovitz introduces plants' equivalent of our
senses, plus floral forms of memory and orientation. When you
realize how much plants know, you may think twice before you bite
them." --Hannah Holmes, author of" Quirk" and" Suburban
Safari""Just as his groundbreaking research uncovered connections
between the plant- and animal kingdoms, Daniel Chamovitz's insights
in "What a Plant Knows" transcend the world of plants. This
entertaining and educational book is filled with wondrous examples
that underscore how the legacy of shared genomes enables plants and
animals to respond to their environments. You'll see plants in a
new light after reading "What a Plantt
"Thick with eccentric plant experiments and astonishing plant
science...Delightful"--"Sunday Times" (UK)
"The reader...will find enough absorbing science to concede that
plants continue to inspire and amaze us. It's time, as Joni
Mitchell sang at Woodstock, 'to get ourselves back to the garden'
and take a closer look at plants."--Bill Laws, "The Wall Street
Journal"
"Plants may be brainless, eyeless and devoid of senses as we know
them, but they have a rudimentary 'awareness', says biologist
Daniel Chamovitz. In this beautiful reframing of the botanical, he
reveals the extent and kind of that awareness through a bumper crop
of research."--"Nature""Like us, a plant that aspires to win the
rat race must exploit its environment. Even a daffodil can detect
when you're standing in its light, and a rhododendron knows when
you're savaging its neighbor with the pruning shears. With deftness
and clarity, Daniel Chamovitz introduces plants' equivalent of our
senses, plus floral forms of memory and orientation. When you
realize how much plants know, you may think twice before you bite
them." --Hannah Holmes, author of" Quirk" and" Suburban
Safari""Just as his groundbreaking research uncovered connections
between the plant- and animal kingdoms, Daniel Chamovitz's insights
in "What a Plant Knows" transcend the world of plants. This
entertaining and educational book is filled with wondrous examples
that underscore how the legacy of shared genomes enables plants and
animals to respond to their environments. You'll see plants in a
new light after reading "What a Plant Knows."" --Gloria M. Coruzzi,
Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor, Center for Genomics and
Systems Biology, New York University"If you've ever marveled at how
and why plants make the choices they do, "What a Plant Knows" holds
your answer. Chamovitz is a master at translating the science of
botany into the language of the layman." --Michael Malice, author,
subject of "Ego & Hubris," and succ
"Like us, a plant that aspires to win the rat race must exploit its
environment. Even a daffodil can detect when you're standing in its
light, and a rhododendron knows when you're savaging its neighbor
with the pruning shears. With deftness and clarity, Daniel
Chamovitz introduces plants' equivalent of our senses, plus floral
forms of memory and orientation. When you realize how much plants
know, you may think twice before you bite them." --Hannah Holmes,
author of" Quirk" and" Suburban Safari" "Just as his groundbreaking
research uncovered connections between the plant- and animal
kingdoms, Daniel Chamovitz's insights in "What a Plant Knows"
transcend the world of plants. This entertaining and educational
book is filled with wondrous examples that underscore how the
legacy of shared genomes enables plants and animals to respond to
their environments. You'll see plants in a new light after reading
"What a Plant Knows."" --Gloria M. Coruzzi, Carroll and Milton
Petrie Professor, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York
University "If you've ever marveled at how and why plants make the
choices they do, "What a Plant Knows" holds your answer. Chamovitz
is a master at translating the science of botany into the language
of the layman." --Michael Malice, author, subject of "Ego &
Hubris," and succulent enthusiast"Chamovitz walks the "Homo
sapiens" reader right into the shoes--or I should say roots--of the
plant world. After reading this book you will never again walk
innocently past a plant or reach insensitively for a leaf. You will
marvel and be haunted by a plant's sensory attributes and the
shared genes between the plant and animals kingdoms." --Elisabeth
Tova Bailey, author of "The Sound of the Wild Snail Eatin"""What a
Plant Knows" is lively, eloquent, scientifically accurate, and easy
to read. I commend this engaging text to all who wonder about life
on earth and seek a compelling introduction to the lives of plants
as revealed through.
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