★ 2023-07-28
An evolutionary biologist explores natural toxins and their uses.
Following his father’s death in 2017 from complications related to substance use disorder, Whiteman, a professor of molecular and cell biology at Berkeley, became interested in learning more about how natural poisons have been used by humans and other animals. “My attempt to grasp why he died,” he writes, “allowed me to identify and then draw together the many ways that nature’s toxins affect the world.” In 2020, the author received a Guggenheim Fellowship to write this book. He examines the origins and evolution of numerous toxins found in nature, including psychedelics, nicotine, and opioids, as well as the pros and cons of more “socially accepted” compounds such as those found in coffee, tea, and chocolate. Whiteman also shares the story of his father’s addiction issues and the reasons some people have a higher risk of developing drug abuse disorders than others. As Whiteman points out, many of the toxins discussed in this book “can also be the cure in the right context.” In fact, he notes, “Indigenous healers have yielded nearly 50 percent of all modern drugs we use today.” Of course, these natural toxins did not evolve for our sake; “they were here long before us and in many cases keep enemies at bay.” In most cases, natural toxins evolved as defense mechanisms—e.g., the consumption of milkweed by monarchs, the latex found under the bark of the rubber tree, and cyanogenic glucosides found in apple seeds. Whiteman also discusses how our taste for spices evolved to prevent some toxins from harming us. The information in this book is certainly well researched and compelling; however, readers should not expect a quick read, as Whiteman’s writing is rich in detail and well suited for academic audiences and conscientious general readers.
A fascinating discussion of how nature’s toxins can affect us all.
Magisterial, fascinating, and gripping, Noah Whiteman’s Most Delicious Poison is a tour de force. With infectious enthusiasm and deep knowledge, Whiteman opens the curtain behind the substances that affect all of our lives.”—Neil Shubin, paleontologist and author of Your Inner Fish
“Noah Whiteman expertly reveals the evolution of the toxins that permeate our daily lives in this deeply researched and fascinating book.”—Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Laureate, CRISPR gene editing co-inventor, and Innovative Genomics Institute founder
“I wish I could travel the world with Noah Whiteman and enjoy firsthand his deep and eclectic knowledge of the thousands of compounds that plants evolved to defend themselves against predators. Fortunately, he has written Most Delicious Poison. This exuberant, poignant, and mind-blowing guide will transform how you think about plants and how humans use and abuse their toxins to flavor food, treat disease, alter moods, and more.”—Daniel E. Lieberman, author of The Story of the Human Body and Exercised
“Humans have benefitted for millennia from the wild variety of healing, intoxicating, delicious or stimulating toxins produced by the biological warfare that pervades the natural world. Whiteman provides a wonderful overview of the diversity and ubiquity of these drugs, giving us an inspiring, entertaining look at both the richness of nature and the clever ways humans—and many other species—have learned to exploit it.”—Edward Slingerland, author of Drunk
“Through captivating storytelling, Noah Whiteman breathes life into the history of nature’s toxins, exploring the pleasures, comforts, and agonies that have shaped human evolution as it has intertwined with the evolution of these vital yet often overlooked organisms.”—Beth Shapiro, author of How to Clone a Mammoth
"[Most Delicious Poison] feel[s] like a riveting lecture by a passionate professor."—Robert Sullivan, New York Times
“The plants in Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins—From Spices to Vices come off as very smart, even cunning… a spirited debut.”—Barbara Spindel, Wall Street Journal
“A fascinating discussion of how nature’s toxins can affect us all.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This amusing debut from Whiteman, an evolutionary biology professor at UC Berkeley, explores the ‘ways that toxins from nature arose, have been used by us humans and other animals, and have consequently changed the world.’”—Publishers Weekly
"Biologist Noah Whiteman's exacting yet expansive analysis reminds us that although they 'permeate our lives in the most mundane and profound ways,' the toxic chemicals we use every day are not nature's gifts to us but rather its munitions."—Dana Dunham, Scientific American
“Whiteman’s provocative volume will make the reader think differently about familiar substances like coffee, cayenne, and cocaine.”—Margaret Quamme, Booklist
“Aficionados of chemical form, people interested in botanical pharmacology and toxicology, and those who are simply curious about the origins of their drugs and spices will find much to enjoy in this fascinating compendium.”—Emily Monosson, Nature
“Personal and well-researched, Most Delicious Poison has wide appeal, in part, as Whiteman points out, because indulging in nature’s toxins ‘is an essential part of what it means to be human.’ So go ahead. Pour a cup of herbal tea, add some drops of lavender oil to the diffuser and enjoy this mind-bending read.”—Aaron Tremper, Science News, named a favorite book of 2023
“Well worth a read. Spare the time to mull over each chapter for slightly longer than you might otherwise, if just to let the poison sink in."—Tom Leslie, New Scientist
“Most Delicious Poison is full of illuminating insights into the natural world and the plants that have shaped us.”—Constance Craig Smith, Daily Mail
“Fascinating, poignant and elegantly written, Dr. Whiteman’s book is an engrossing interdisciplinary work, mixing subjects ranging from biology and chemistry to history by way of political science.”—Nathan Martins, The Daily Californian
“Most Delicious Poison is a captivating exploration of the world of toxins. Noah Whiteman paints a comprehensive picture of the paradox of toxins, leaving readers with a newfound appreciation for the intricate ways in which nature’s poisons have shaped human existence.”—Ebenezer Mensah, BNN
“A kaleidoscope of facts and historical vignettes, both of how plant chemicals work, and how humans learned to harness some of them.”—Katrina Gulliver, The Spectator
