07/01/2014 Largo (former editor of New York Poetry; The Big, Bad Book of Beasts) has gathered a potpourri of information on a variety of plants from absinthe to zubrowka. He includes agricultural plants, trees, spices, fungi, fossil plants, and a host of other weird and wonderful specimens. The two-page entries are arranged alphabetically by common name, and the author includes the plant's scientific name as well as numerous other common names given to it. As well as describing the plants, Largo shares any lore or myths associated with them, medicinal uses, history, hallucinogenic and/or poisonous properties, adaptations, ecology, fun facts, and uses. The text is illustrated with numerous black-and-white line drawings. Unfortunately, owing to the limited space allowed for each entry, some of the summaries seem to end rather abruptly. Also, in a few places, Largo states the plant has "chosen" its adaptations to its environment. VERDICT Despite minor problems, this gracefully written book will appeal to general readers interested in botany, who will enjoy browsing information on a wide variety of strange and/or useful plants.—Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL
07/21/2014 In a quirky, alphabetical collection of folklore, traditional botany, growing suggestions, and modern science and nutrition, Largo (The Big Bad Book of Beasts) shares delight in the weird and wonderful corners of the plant world. Reading like Culpepper's Herbal filtered through Ripley's Believe it Or Not, each plant gets a colorful tagline (castor oil bush is "Nature's Night Light" while nettle is "The Little Warrior") and an illustration lovingly hand drawn by a member of Miami's Tropical Botanic Artists Collective. Common edibles like kiwi and oregano and garden plants like bleeding heart and rose sit alongside both well-known strange plants like corpse flower and more obscure exotics like the West African ordeal poison calabar bean. Similarly, ancient uses like that of hops in beer share space with modern benefits like the efficacy of licorice root as an antiviral. Largo's palpable enthusiasm for the ways in which humans and plants interact means every page yields something to catch the reader's interest. B&w illus. (Aug.)
A fascinating journey. ... If you like animals and odd stories and gooey oddities then this one is for you.” — Examiner.com on The Big, Bad Book of Beasts
“An expert guide. ... Delves into truth and lore about our furry friends.” — Miami New Times on The Big, Bad Book of Beasts
“Amazingly entertaining.” — Maxim on Final Exits
“A literary walk through an amazing botanical garden. ... Full of fun facts and surprising legends, the book is a great read for both plant-lovers and novices alike. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot - broccoli will never look the same!” — Dr. Ellen Prager, oceanographer and Safina Center Fellow on The Big, Bad Book of Botany
“A fascinating summary of some of the most famous and important plants grown around the world.” — Dr. F.G. (Eric) Hochberg, Curator Emeritus, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
“This gracefully written book will appeal to general readers interested in botany, who will enjoy browsing information on a wide variety of strange and/or useful plants.” — Library Journal
“In a quirky, alphabetical collection of folklore, traditional botany, growing suggestions, and modern science and nutrition, Largo shares delight in the weird and wonderful corners of the plant world. ... Colorful. ... Largo’s palpable enthusiasm means every page yields something to catch the reader’s interest.” — Publishers Weekly
“Largo has the gift of transforming a nerdy catalog of facts into an apothecary of invigorating information. His encyclopedic knowledge is never an end in itself, but it is always an engine for historical insight and reflection on human nature.” — BookPage
“Not your standard reference book. ... Written with an eye for humor and cocktail-party-friendly trivia, this botanical exploration can serve as a coffee-table piece or conversation starter.” — Shelf Awareness
“All the exuberance of a kid’s garden.” — Wall Street Journal
“A very cool, quirky look at the plant kingdom.” — Miami New Times
“This combination of history, mythology, lore, science and sheer entertainment takes us on a tour of the world’s most unusual plants.” — Sacramento Bee
“[A]n entertaining compendium of unusual plants. Full of history and intriguing cultural tidbits.” — Miami Herald
“[A] compendium of unusual botanical knowledge. … Perfect pre-Halloween reading for gardeners with a slightly twisted take on their flower beds.” — Sacramento Bee
“Wonderfully weird. ... Largo does an excellent job of showing both historical background and present-day uses.” — Garden & Gun
“What happens when a wise-guy plant nut tosses all the amazing, and occasionally really odd, botanical lore he can think of into a well produced book? You get a wild ride through the plant world. ... A real kick to read.” — The American Gardener
“Fascinating. ... A great book to have.” — Steve Young, New York Flora Association
“A useful, thorough A-Z study of the plant kingdom. ... Largo’s amusing anecdotes will interest even people with brown thumbs. ... Fans of Largo... are now assured that it’s a weird, wonderful world.” — Oregonian
A literary walk through an amazing botanical garden. ... Full of fun facts and surprising legends, the book is a great read for both plant-lovers and novices alike. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot - broccoli will never look the same!
A fascinating summary of some of the most famous and important plants grown around the world.
Not your standard reference book. ... Written with an eye for humor and cocktail-party-friendly trivia, this botanical exploration can serve as a coffee-table piece or conversation starter.
A fascinating journey. ... If you like animals and odd stories and gooey oddities then this one is for you.
Largo has the gift of transforming a nerdy catalog of facts into an apothecary of invigorating information. His encyclopedic knowledge is never an end in itself, but it is always an engine for historical insight and reflection on human nature.
All the exuberance of a kid’s garden.
An expert guide. ... Delves into truth and lore about our furry friends.
Miami New Times on The Big
Amazingly entertaining.
All the exuberance of a kid’s garden.
This combination of history, mythology, lore, science and sheer entertainment takes us on a tour of the world’s most unusual plants.
What happens when a wise-guy plant nut tosses all the amazing, and occasionally really odd, botanical lore he can think of into a well produced book? You get a wild ride through the plant world. ... A real kick to read.
Fascinating. ... A great book to have.
A useful, thorough A-Z study of the plant kingdom. ... Largo’s amusing anecdotes will interest even people with brown thumbs. ... Fans of Largo... are now assured that it’s a weird, wonderful world.
[A]n entertaining compendium of unusual plants. Full of history and intriguing cultural tidbits.
Wonderfully weird. ... Largo does an excellent job of showing both historical background and present-day uses.
A very cool, quirky look at the plant kingdom.
[A]n entertaining compendium of unusual plants. Full of history and intriguing cultural tidbits.
A useful, thorough A-Z study of the plant kingdom. ... Largo’s amusing anecdotes will interest even people with brown thumbs. ... Fans of Largo... are now assured that it’s a weird, wonderful world.
A fascinating journey. ... If you like animals and odd stories and gooey oddities then this one is for you.
Amazingly entertaining.
2014-06-17 Largo (The Big, Bad Book of Beasts: The World's Most Curious Creatures, 2013, etc.) offers an alphabetical guide to botanical oddities.The author succeeds admirably in his stated intent to provide a serendipitous mix of “fascinating folklore of the past, with descriptions, life cycles, advice on cultivation, and the benefits these plants provide.” Largo begins withartemisia absinthium, or absinthe, whose sap was used as a last-ditch remedy for tapeworms by Egyptians as early as 1500 B.C. In the 19th century, valued for its hallucinogenic and supposed aphrodisiac properties, it was added to spirits and became the favored drink of artists such as Vincent van Gogh. In a later entry, the author traces knowledge of the medicinal use of aloe vera—recognized for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties today—to an Egyptian papyrus dating back to 2000 B.C. Largo also relates how the black-eyed Susan, an American wildflower, was used by some Native Americans to treat earaches. Archaeological evidence establishes that the Chinese grew cannabis 12,000 years ago, and even the seemingly boring carrot has a fascinating history. Its name is based on its shape and is traceable to “the Indo-European rootker(horn), due to its hornlike appearance.” The carrot's close relatives include coriander, fennel and parsnip, and “in ancient times, carrots were actually favored for its aromatic leaves and seeds,” not for the domesticated root we eat today. Largo has fun with garlic, the supposed “vampire killer” that was also thought to ward off bubonic plague. Near the end of the alphabet, the author informs us that the name of witch hazel—still used to soothe rashes—derives from the Old English word for pliant and bears no relation to witches. Zubrowka, an aromatic plant used to flavor Polish vodka, ends this romp through botanical lore.An entertaining, irreverent look at the ABCs of botany.