Book
Most delicious poison : the story of nature's toxins-from spices to vices / Noah Whiteman.
"Based on cutting-edge science in the fields of evolution, chemistry, and neuroscience, Most Delicious Poison reveals the origins of toxins produced by plants, mushrooms, microbes, and even some animals, the mechanisms that animals evolved to overcome them, and how a co-evolutionary arms race made its way into the human experience. This perpetual chemical war not only drove the diversification of life on Earth, but is also intimately tied to our own successes and failures. You will never look at a houseplant, mushroom, fruit, vegetable, or even the last 500 years of human history, the same way again"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780316386579 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 295 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Little, Brown Spark / Little, Brown and Company, 2023.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Includes index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction -- Deadly daisies -- Forests of phenolics and flavonoids -- Toxic, titillating, tumor-killing terpenoids -- Dogbane and digitalis -- Hijacked hormones -- Abiding alkaloids -- Caffeine and nicotine -- Devil's breath and silent death -- Opioid overlords -- The herbivore's dilemma -- The spice of life -- Nutmeg, tea, opium, and cinchona -- The future pharmacopoeia. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Mushrooms, Poisonous. Poisoning > History. Poisonous animals. Poisonous plants. Poisons. |
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | 615.9 Whi | 31681010345817 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
Based on cutting-edge science in the fields of evolution, chemistry and neuroscience, an evolutionary biologist reveals the origins of natural toxins produced by plants, mushrooms, microbes and even some animals, discussing how and why they evolved and the biological basis for our attractionâand addictionâto them. Illustrations. - Baker & Taylor
An evolutionary biologist tells the story of nature's toxins and why we are attracted--and addicted--to them, in this "magisterial, fascinating, and gripping tour de force" (Neil Shubin). A deadly secret lurks within our spice racks, medicine cabinets, backyard gardens, and private stashes. Scratch beneath the surface of a coffee bean, a red pepper flake, a poppy seed, a mold spore, a foxglove leaf, a magic-mushroom cap, a marijuana bud, or an apple seed, and we find a bevy of strange chemicals. We use these to greet our days (caffeine), titillate our tongues (capsaicin), recover from surgery (opioids), cure infections (penicillin), mend our hearts (digoxin), bend our minds (psilocybin), calm our nerves (CBD), and even kill our enemies (cyanide). But whydo plants and fungi produce such chemicals? And how did we come to use and abuse some of them? Based on cutting-edge science in the fields of evolution, chemistry, and neuroscience, Most Delicious Poison reveals: The origins of toxins produced by plants,mushrooms, microbes, and even some animals; The mechanisms that animals evolved to overcome them; How a co-evolutionary arms race made its way into the human experience; And much more. This perpetual chemical war not only drove the diversification of life on Earth, but also is intimately tied to our own successes and failures. You will never look at a houseplant, mushroom, fruit, vegetable, or even the past five hundred years of human history the same way again. - Grand Central Pub
An evolutionary biologist tells the story of natureâs toxins and why we are attractedâand addictedâto them, in this âmagisterial, fascinating, and gripping tour de forceâ (Neil Shubin).
A deadly secret lurks within our spice racks, medicine cabinets, backyard gardens, and private stashes.
Scratch beneath the surface of a coffee bean, a red pepper flake, a poppy seed, a mold spore, a foxglove leaf, a magic-mushroom cap, a marijuana bud, or an apple seed, and we find a bevy of strange chemicals. We use these to greet our days (caffeine), titillate our tongues (capsaicin), recover from surgery (opioids), cure infections (penicillin), mend our hearts (digoxin), bend our minds (psilocybin), calm our nerves (CBD), and even kill our enemies (cyanide). But why do plants and fungi produce such chemicals? And how did we come to use and abuse some of them?
Based on cutting-edge science in the fields of evolution, chemistry, and neuroscience, Most Delicious Poison reveals:- The origins of toxins produced by plants, mushrooms, microbes, and even some animals
- The mechanisms that animals evolved to overcome them
- How a co-evolutionary arms race made its way into the human experience
- And much more
This perpetual chemical war not only drove the diversification of life on Earth, but also is intimately tied to our own successes and failures. You will never look at a houseplant, mushroom, fruit, vegetable, or even the past five hundred years of human history the same way again.
