The author provides a pretty extensive list of plants that are bad players. The descriptions are interesting and the illustrations are well done. I enjoyed reading the book and learned about many plants that I did not know much about. The information would be helpful to avoid injury or death. It is interesting that the plants have developed the methods for protection and other benefits. ( )

Very interesting -- makes me amazed that humans have found any edible plants at all! The book certainly makes one think that majority of plants are poisonous. I wish there was a full colour version with official botanical pics of the plants for id purposes. Most of the "stories" are simple anecdotes, so the book is a little more like "light reference" -- it doesn't even go in depth on many of the plants. Just a tasting of the defenses out there.

I couldn't put it down and it became too much of a good thing. The author covers poisonous plants, plants that cause irritation, but also -plants people are commonly allergic to-. And importantly, alerts for plants that household pets will be injured or worse by! In the ebook, the epilogue provides links to active sites where plant information can be put into a database, and a list of Poison Gardens in the USA and elsewhere. I was so glad to read this. ( )

I hated the way this was organized. ( )

I quite enjoyed this one. The botanical and nomenclatural information is almost entirely accurate as far as I could tell, and the illustrations are delightful. I enjoyed mapping out the various plants to find where they grow in San Diego County, and daydreaming about...never mind. ( )

Five stars for the text, which is well written and tells us more about deadly, dangerous, destructive, and annoying plants than we thought we would ever know. One star for the black and white drawings, which while done with skills, are totally inadequate to faithfully represent these plants, which the author describes in great detail, including their often unusual colors and markings. Worth getting from the library, perhaps, but I don't recommend purchasing this one (as I did!) ( )

Not what I expected, I thought it was going to historical oddities that involved plants, but it read more like a poisoners textbook. Useful for mystery writers at least, learn about wild plant that are deadly or hallucinogenic. ( )

Fun little book ( )

Who knew plants could be so interesting? Stewart takes readers through some of the most deadly plants in existence and includes anecdotes about their impact on historical figures. From the Salem witch trials to ancient Greece, dangerous plants have had a huge impact. Even familiar things like kidney beans or cashews can be dangerous if not properly prepared. To me the biggest take away is that we should never underestimate the power of nature or trust a random leaf or berry that looks edible. ( )

This was light, interesting and fun. I learned a bit as well. ( )

DNF at 7%. I suspect this may work better as a paper book than as an audiobook. It seems to be organized as a reference, rather than a compelling narrative.

Very quick read with interesting facts and truths about different plants and where they can be found. ( )

This book might be a good choice for people who are a bit squeamish and would rather skip Stewart's Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army and Other Diabolical Insects. After reading Wicked Plants, I was surprised how many houseplants and common garden plants are toxic and it made me wonder why there aren't clearer standards for labeling by growers and nurseries. Otherwise, it also made me wonder historically how many people lost their lives or became ill while trying to figure out which plants were safe to eat and which weren't.

As with my similar criticism of Wicked Bugs, I wish the author had included photographs for identification purposes. In this case, I really did not care for the illustrations at all, even from an artistic perspective. Still I appreciate books I learn something useful from and knowing a few plants in my garden can potentially cause major skin irritation is definitely useful. ( )

If you need to research some clever poisons for your next murder mystery, you could do worse than start your search for candidates here. It's a quick and readable introduction to the wide world of dangerous plants, with the fun and exciting (well, if you share some of my gallows humor) basics on the major ones plus the relatives of these dangerous plants.

But that's not all this book offers. It's not just clever murder methods. It's also the stuff won't kill you (probably), but will make you sick and very uncomfortable. It's the stuff it would never occur to you to eat, but might kill your animals.

It's the stuff you probably don't want to plant in your garden, especially if you have allergies, or care about people who do.

It's the invasive plants that are choking waterways.

It's the nasty stuff that global warming will help invade areas currently free of it.

It's those fascinating carnivorous plants.

Did I mention it's a lot of fun?

Recommended.

I bought this audiobook.

A thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating journey through predominantly an American botanical diorama. This looks at poison, offensive and carnivorous plants as well as general irritants. Highly recommended as an introductory text for those with an interest, or those that have an interest in the natural world, poisons or medicine generally. ( )

Wicked Plants is organized in a weird way, but very clear in all of its definitions. ( )

reference, botany, gardening, poisons

A calculated and well researched compendium of poisonous and questionable botanical plants including anecdotal bits about each one and its plant relatives. With some the lethal aspects are in the dosing but with others that isn't true. The plan of chapters is a bit mystifying, but overall it is a reference book with reality tales.
Coleen Marlo does a creditable job as narrator. ( )

I read this book whenever the bind weed in my garden gets a little overwhelming. ( )

This enjoyable book is a collection of encyclopedia-like entries covering infamous plants that can damage, maim, and kill. Amy Stewart introduces her perusal of wicked plants with an introduction that sets the tone for the ensuing materials, in a voice that is darkly humorous but personable, using words that convey a wary respect for the powers of plants. Clearly, Stewart admires the versatility of the plant world and some of the crazy adaptations that abound, but also hopes to educate people on taking plant life more seriously. Don't take hikes in the wood and just eat whatever you see growing on the side of the trail, people! Honestly, after reading this book, I am feeling much more paranoid about the seemingly harmless plants all around me. Not so much for me, since I am not in the habit of eating greenery that doesn't come for the grocery store, as for my young girls. I am also more in awe of the botanical world, which is far more unusual and potent than I had realized.

After the introduction, the book is arranged with an alphabetical presentation of nearly forty wicked plants, with each entry providing information on where the plant grows, how it was discovered, how people have used it in different times and places, and any other interesting anecdotes attached to the leafy menace. The description also includes the plant's scientific names and a listing of its relatives, or other varieties in the same plant family. These detailed accounts are interspersed with small essays that examine a broader topic, such as plants that are deadly to animals, plants that create hallucinations, and so on. The information is supplemented with fabulous illustrations which sort into two categories: the detailed and realistic depiction of each plant, and the creepy pictures that go along with the intermittent essays. The combination of all these elements creates a quirky package of a book that I adore, with a snarky sense of humor that can run dark, factual information delivered in an inviting manner, and a beautiful cover that is perfectly suited to the material. In my mental image of the ideal library, I have vague notions of obscure books full of mythology and animal and plant lore, and this little nonfiction book captures a small part of that essential librariness that I dreamed up over the years. Plus it's educational and fun to read. I am quite pleased that I found this treasure on a recent trip to the bookstore. ( )

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Like: Wowie!..... What a wonderful little book (and it is Green, just like the plants). Lots of useful information.....

It corroborated what I keep telling people I know: When I eat spicy hot food, I always want a beer, wine, or margarita because it stops the heat and water makes it worse: "Capsaicin does not dissolve in water.......A good stiff drink is also in order, as the alcohol works as a solvent".... To all my friends: I TOLD YOU SO!

Raw Cashews are poisonous, so they are semi-cooked when shelling them.... they Steam them open, thus a form of cooking, eating the shell, even a small amount id toxic.

Nicotine can be deadly absorbed through the skin.....

So why -1/2 star? Because there were no color pictures, the graphics were well executed pencil drawings. ( )

This is the one book that should be on the reference shelf of every suspense, thriller or horror novelist.

In an A to Z such as you have never read before, Stewart lays out the chemical nature of over two hundred plants that can be used to kill, blind, paralyze or at the very least, leave your victim curled up in bed very ill.

From deadly nightshade to killer algae, ratbane to hemlock, Stewart lays it all out on the line. If you want to kill off your victim in some mysterious, painful and particularly nasty way, she has a toxin to get the job done. White Snake root is what does in Mrs. Lincoln (Abe's mother). Known as milk sickness, the plant contaminated folks in the early-farm life of America, often wiping out entire families.

Written in entertaining jargon, hitting on the scientific, the historical and the medicinal, Stewart enlightens us to the use of weeds, plants and seeds and advises to “consider yourself warned”. ( )

This is the one book that should be on the reference shelf of every suspense, thriller or horror novelist.

In an A to Z such as you have never read before, Stewart lays out the chemical nature of over two hundred plants that can be used to kill, blind, paralyze or at the very least, leave your victim curled up in bed very ill.

From deadly nightshade to killer algae, ratbane to hemlock, Stewart lays it all out on the line. If you want to kill off your victim in some mysterious, painful and particularly nasty way, she has a toxin to get the job done. White Snake root is what does in Mrs. Lincoln (Abe's mother). Known as milk sickness, the plant contaminated folks in the early-farm life of America, often wiping out entire families.

Written in entertaining jargon, hitting on the scientific, the historical and the medicinal, Stewart enlightens us to the use of weeds, plants and seeds and advises to “consider yourself warned”. ( )

This is the one book that should be on the reference shelf of every suspense, thriller or horror novelist.

In an A to Z such as you have never read before, Stewart lays out the chemical nature of over two hundred plants that can be used to kill, blind, paralyze or at the very least, leave your victim curled up in bed very ill.

From deadly nightshade to killer algae, ratbane to hemlock, Stewart lays it all out on the line. If you want to kill off your victim in some mysterious, painful and particularly nasty way, she has a toxin to get the job done. White Snake root is what does in Mrs. Lincoln (Abe's mother). Known as milk sickness, the plant contaminated folks in the early-farm life of America, often wiping out entire families.

Written in entertaining jargon, hitting on the scientific, the historical and the medicinal, Stewart enlightens us to the use of weeds, plants and seeds and advises to “consider yourself warned”. ( )

Offers many interesting facts on plants that people may not have realized were poisonous and many interesting stories on the history of these plants. While the line drawings were beautiful, sometimes I would have appreciated an actual photograph to be sure that the author was referring to the plant I thought she was referring to. ( )

Offers many interesting facts on plants that people may not have realized were poisonous and many interesting stories on the history of these plants. While the line drawings were beautiful, sometimes I would have appreciated an actual photograph to be sure that the author was referring to the plant I thought she was referring to. ( )