Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins―From Spices to Vices

4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book! I found it interesting that he chose to weave his father's addiction to alcohol into this as it's his reason for writing. I wasn't expecting a personal touch to this but I did enjoy it, even if sometimes it hinted at a darker picture.

I am interested in this as an audiobook, I don't listen to them often but I would love to hear him properly saying the words that I knew I was butchering in my head.

I did read this book much faster than I expected. It was slow because I was trying to keep everything straight, the names of the chemicals, protiens, poisons, receptors, everything, instead of glossing over it. But I think my joy and excitement helped me devour this. There's so much in here, I learned so much show more on every page.

I appreciate his credit given to the Indigenous Peoples who have been using these plants and animals in their medicines for much longer than that of modern pharmacopoeia. It's refreshing to see some credit being given to the groups science has ignored because of colonialism and viewing peoples' traditional knowledge as wrong.

This is one of my top reads for 2024 and I will be looking for my own copy. This was a great read and I enjoyed the little images throughout. show less

Lately I have been intrigued by mysteries and tales that equal part give me chills & thrillers. These stories just draw me in and leave me looking over my shoulder to figure out what just went creak or calm myself after hearing something go bump. Then along comes Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins―From Spices to Vices
by Noah Whiteman and I find a non fiction exploration of the natural items around me that have developed p0i$0n$ to help them stay alive in a hostile world...well that sounds like a great read, doesn't it?

This book was a tour de force of chemistry, biology, coming together in a CSI-Univeristy style non fictional read. Whiteman's writing style is a dense, his academic background clearly shows through, but show more the journey he shares and the discoveries he highlights about the role, function, and value of p0i$0n$ in the natural world make this a read worth the time. I will say it is a heavy dense read, but one worth the investment. Throughout I was intrigued on how many of the reasons we find spices appealing to our sense of taste is the result of an evolutionary chemical adaptation by a single plant to create a unique way to avoid consumed by predators or insects. Why do I love cilantro's green flavor while My Guy says it only tastes like soap? Why does my family find strawberries sweet while I always find them sour? Why do we get a coffee rush from caffeine? Why do we crave the burn of a hot chili pepper and laugh at our puffy lips when food is too hot? It all comes down to evolution and the compounds that insects don't like, but which we find engaging and delightful. And then what about those plants that literally will end your life? If you want a way to open a conversation this Spooky Season that will have all your dinner party guests thinking you are prepping for Jeopardy or writing a Thriller or Mystery than this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley, LittleBrownCompany, and Noah Whiteman for this ARC that I volunteered to read show less