The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan (2001, Hardcover)

I'm not traditionally a non-fiction reader, however, Micheal Pollan writes so whimsically about 4 different plants in this book that I was hooked. I thought that he easily combined investigative journalism with personal reflection and deft storytelling to create an engaging and informative piece. I'm also sort of a science nerd, so I loved the biological aspect of the book as he turned the traditional human-centric view of plants on its head, and delved into the genetic capabilities of plants to adapt to their environment. I bought this book because I enjoyed "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and this may be even better because it is so concise, but still contains a discussion of modern means of procuring food. I would recommend it whole heartedly for a wide variety of readers, but especially those fascinated by plants, biology, ecology, and food.