The Big, Bad Book of Botany

"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