Good Intentions

‘teeming with fascinating and enlightening insights’ OBSERVER Plant lovers will find much of interest in Schlangers inspiring tale of where her curious mind has led her NATURE Captivating THE GUARDIAN Its rare that you read a book that makes you want to grab people to tell them what its about, but this is one of them DAILY MAIL Look at the green organism across the room or through the window: the potted plant, or the grass or a tree. Think how a life spent constantly growing yet rooted in a single spot comes with tremendous challenges. To meet them, plants have come up with some of the most creative methods for surviving of any living thing us included. Many are so ingenious that they seem nearly impossible. Did you know plants can communicate when they are being eaten, allowing nearby plants to bolster their defences? They move and that movement stops when they are anaesthetised. They also use electricity for internal communication. They can hear the sounds of caterpillars eating. Plants can remember the last time they have been visited by a bee and how many times they have been visited so they have a concept of time and can count. Plants can not only communicate with each other, they can also communicate with other species of plants and animals, allowing them to manipulate animals to defend or fertilise them. So look again at the potted plant, or the grass or the tree and wonder: are plants intelligent? Or perhaps ask an even more fundamental question: are they conscious? The Light Eaters will completely redefine how you think about plants. Packed with the most amazing stories of the life of plants it will open your eyes to the extraordinary green life forms we share the planet with.

Product Information

Author: Zoe Schlanger
Binding: Paperback
Date of Publication: 08/05/2025
Pagination: 304 pages
Series: N/A
Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd
Published By: HarperCollins Publishers
Book Classification: Life sciences: general issues
Dimensions: 128 x 198 x 21
ISBN13/EAN/SKU: 9780008445386