Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder from the World of Plants
*Starred Review* Though Goodall is known everywhere as the chimpanzee expert who transformed our understanding of primates and ourselves, it comes as no surprise that her profound love of nature and vigorous global activism extend to the plant kingdom. Goodall begins this tribute to the glory of plants and trees and protest against their endangerment with memories of her grandmother’s English country home, where her best friend was a large, cradling beech. She also shares her reverence for the forests of Gombe that nurture chimpanzees. In this far-ranging, gracefully impassioned book, Goodall, aided by frequent coauthor Hudson, shares her fascination with the beingness of plants, from the miracles of seeds to photosynthesis and astonishing strategies of seed dispersal, pollination, defense, and communication. She writes of her mystical experiences with trees, obsessive and daring plant hunters, orchid fever, and the deep psychological benefits of gardening. Goodall celebrates the long history of medicinal plants and decries corporate biopiracy and exposes the horrendous human suffering and environmental damage wrought by today’s cotton industry and the disastrous consequences of genetically modified crops. Appalled by the ongoing destruction of forests, Goodall finds seeds of hope in those who work to protect the green world, upon which we are utterly dependent. A crucial and commanding summons to care and act by one of nature’s most heroic champions. --Donna Seaman