Mini Book Review: The Secret Life of Plants

Authors: Authors: Peter Tompkins, Christopher Bird

A thought-provoking but ultimately unconvincing look at experiments exploring unusual plant phenomena and the possibility of plant sentience. I picked this up expecting something closer to current plant science, then realized it was published in the 1970s, which changed the experience quite a bit. The experiments themselves are interesting, sometimes even fascinating, but many of the results seem difficult to repeat, making the book feel closer to lore than science. I also wanted more plants, fewer long detours into the scientists’ backstories, equipment, and technical setup. There were definitely moments that made me pause and wonder what we still don’t know about the living world around us, but I also found myself skimming and waiting for the book to get back to the point. By the end, I was looking at our houseplants differently, but also couldn’t wait to be done with the book. Recommended for plant lovers who enjoy scientific-sounding writing on strange, possibly pseudoscientific topics.