" Nature is not a puzzle waiting to be put together, or a codex waiting to be deciphered. Nature is chaos in motion. Biological life is a spiraling diffusion of possibilities, fractal in its profusion. Every organism, and certainly every plant, has ricocheted out of another fragment of the evolutionary web of green leafy things to variate further. These each are of course still morphing, because that sort of thing never ends, except in extinction."

Plants have a long history of being considered passive entities in the environment. Much research, however, has shown how much more complex and active they are than previously believed. From using chemicals that cause their predators to eat each other to kin selection plants have evolved a myriad of ways to survive while quite literally rooted to the spot. Whether intelligence is the right term to explain the phenomenon or not, this book is an interesting insight into plant sensory systems and the ways in which they react to the environment around them. While botanists have known this for a while (at least all the ones I know acknowledge their complexity and that they are very much not passive observers to the world, even if they don't agree that they are intelligent life forms), this has not been talked about much, at least not in a more scientific sense, outside of the biological world.

Most of this book was very well written. The author does a good job at balancing the pop and sci elements which can be a difficult line to straddle. While it did have some minor issues (such as inconsistent referencing - mostly fine but a few places could have used a reference and some topics really should have had one at the start as was in most cases rather than at the end and sometimes making uncharitable assessments as to why some botanists didn't want to talk to her) it did an overall good job of conveying the information. Schlanger did a good job of conveying a variety of interesting stories, both based off what the science shows and based off stories told by people who work with plants. Although I have a fairly strong basis in botany I still came across many examples that are new to me! I am continuously amazed at some of the adaptations evolution has come up with. There were some points where I wish a few more examples had been given, but this is already a book with much information to offer so I do understand the potential constraints.

Although I loved the parts I loved (more on that later) there were some elements I thought could be improved. The first is minor and expected but at times there was a bit of a western centric view of science. The author did cover examples from various parts of the world which is great! But as an example she mentions the shock a botanist felt when he realised that actually, the models are too simple and wrong. Southern hemisphere scientist (particularly from biodiverse areas such as Australia and South Africa) have known this for a while - the models designed around northern temperate data have rather limited power in many contexts. It's not a new discovery. Secondly and more complicatedly, there is quite a heavy reliance on anthropomorphism and animorphism(?). While discussing plants in a way that people can relate to is helpful in allowing the human mind in understanding them, comparing them to humans and other animals can only go so far. They have their own way of being, separate of that from animals because of the very different ways in which they exist and experience the world - they really don't have the traditional sensory organs we associate with animals, for example, especially not the higher animals she compared them to. While borrowing from zoology to understand the plant world isn't a bad thing assuming similarities is harmful and actively takes away from our ability to understand plants as their own group of species as we try to begin to understand how they experience life. A couple of points also felt a little cherry picked (e.g. weight given to experiments that "worked" (i.e. showed desired results) vs those that didn't) although I guess that's understandable given the narrative the author is sharing (although she does criticise others for ignoring outliers). It is something that can be seen across science though as sharing the things that worked are far more interesting than those that didn't.

As previously mentioned, I loved most of the book. The above issues were not enough to detract too much from the experience, especially since a lot of it is tied up in my own background in biology. The issues (which many people probably won't even have a problem with) were minor enough that I'd still happily recommend this book to everyone without any caveats, maybe providing suggestions for further reading if certain topics interested someone. For most of this book I was ready to rate it around 4.5 stars and recommend it to all the people I know who may be vaguely interested. I feel a little bad for rating this book so low but unfortunately the last two chapters, looking at invasive species and then at plant personhood, were far weaker. Feel free to skip the next two paragraphs if you don't want to read about me delving into this.

I'll start with the final chapter as this one was less of an issue to me and was likely covered by my feelings coming out of the previous one. It is also possible that there are legal differences between where we live that colour how I perceived it. It essentially boils down to "plants are good at sensing and reacting so should be granted personhood". Obviously natural systems and species deserve to be respected and protected but I really don't think she thought through the implications of that... She concedes eating them would still be permissible but I think my frustrations very much tie in to the last chapter - she seems to have a misunderstanding of how parts of botany and conservation work, even after talking to people and travelling all over the world for her book. There are already laws that protect ecosystems, species and even individuals without granting personhood that work better and are able to provide more nuance when it comes to conservation work.

The invasive species chapter ruined this book for me. As mentioned before, I was fully expecting to rate this book much higher but this chapter... It has some actually harmful ideas in it. Her example of knotweed being annoying paints an oversimplified picture of invasive species and the impacts they have. She compared having an issue with them to xenophobia because obviously they are just better and that's why they are there. I live in an area with several critically endangered habitats and they are all being threatened by invasive species. This is largely because of how the system is structured and how life cycles work, favouring slower growth of species rich communities which gives the invasive species a window in which they can quickly take over the landscape. This leads to more than just "annoyance". They are actively impacting waterways because they use more water, damaging downstream communities and ecosystems. The limited array of species make them more vulnerable to climate change. Local species have evolved in tandem, meaning the loss of the producers has cascading effects on all trophic levels, including closing off wildlife corridors that mean pollinators can't move between populations, again causing an impact far beyond where the invasive species are growing. But yeah, invasive species aren't a big issue and disliking them is xenophobic (her word choice) because knotweed is just annoying, right? This attitude also very much goes against the empathy she seemed to have towards someone who saw one of the species they were studying go extinct in front of his very eyes because invasive species can easily lead to the extinction of multiple species. I would honestly suggest avoiding this chapter unless it gets edited due to its lack of nuance and understanding of how catastrophic invasive species have the potential to be.

So. Overall. Would I still recommend it? Yes. The good parts truly were good. But I would provide a caveat that the second last chapter isn't great and I'd probably skip it. The last chapter, didn't love it but some interesting ideas, even if they wouldn't necessarily work in our reality. I truly hope the invasive species chapter is edited before any new editions because it truly ruined a book I had been having a great experience with until that point. But then again, I'm just one person. I know others will come to different conclusions.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

The Light Eaters offers the latest knowledge of how plants sense and respond to the world and discusses how we can conceptualise it - how far can we see the behaviour of plants as analogous to that of animals or humans? If a plant responds to vibration, can we call that 'hearing'?

Schlanger also situates this in the context of academic debate, tells some of the stories of the people working on it, and gives us an insight into her own thoughts and her adventures in the field with researchers.

I have mixed feelings about this journalistic style in popular science books. I enjoyed learning about the history of this research, such as the way The Secret Life of Plants, published in 1973, set back the cause of researchers in this field with its crude anthromorphosising. It's also interesting knowing the pressures - political, financial and social - that underlie the work of academics. I'm less interested in the details of what people are wearing etc or the backstory of Schlanger's decision to write the book (everything has to have an origin story now, apparently).

That aside, as a gardener and non-scientist, I found the developments in botany fascinating and the writing accessible.

The blurb for the Light Eaters is excellent. It really gives a full synopsis of the book, and enables you to see the dilemma facing scientists when they are attempting to describe the function of certain plant characteristics without using terms that to many scientists are reserved entirely for human biology. Brain, for example. Touch. Communication. Memory. Warning other plants.

Schlanger’s background in climate science journalism means she can tackle complex subjects in highly descriptive language. Sometime I found her style too ornate, especially when describing habitats, but she would move on to explain the findings of her botanists’ subjects in great detail, and mostly understandably, if I put my brain to work. But she had a habit of making some really banal statements just after your brain had been locked into thinking mode. It was also apparent, especially in the chapters based on chemistry and electricity, that the botanists were having the same trouble as each other, following the same patterns of research, and risking their careers. It felt repetitive.

Eventually I felt Schlanger fell into her own trap, dismissing ‘accepted’ parallels in other sciences, when she could have asked if they too had been constrained by language in their findings. This is a very deep book, which I eventually got bored with. I might dip into it again.

Every now and then I stumble upon a non-fiction marvel that takes my breath away. The Light Eaters was exactly that type of book. Approachable for non-botanists, full of amazing, mind boggling possibilities, it opened up the world of plant life in a new direction for me.

It makes sense that plants would have intelligence and communication skills beyond our understanding. Just because they may be fixed to the ground does not mean they are without some type of agency and ability to defend themselves or protect their kin. I absolutely loved The Light Eaters and the way Zoe Schlanger expressed awe at each discovery or the research underway.
It seems revolutionary to harness the ability of food crops to call upon insects to reduce plant-pests instead of relying on pesticides, which weaken plants and is so devastating to the natural world. This goes well beyond the mycorrhizal network, possibly hand-in-hand with it? My mind is blown! And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

I hope you, too, will enjoy this incredible peak into the secret world of plants with The Light Eaters. It makes me wish I had devoted my time to learning about botany in this age of wonders.

This book has much interesting content, and there are extensive footnotes and references to published scientific papers. It covers the history and nature of science regarding views on plants, as well as specifics about botany. The author provides details of diverse plant communities and the dangers of monoculture. And many examples are cited that refute the Cartesian idea that only humans have 'souls' or consciousness. Plants are described as aware of their surroundings, able to respond flexibly and to communicate simple messages to each other. Whether this means they are as conscious as various animals depends on your definition of that state. But the conclusion Schlanger seems to arrive at is 'if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then….'

Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the book was marred by its journalistic style. There are frequent anecdotes about the author and the scientists she meets, but I don't care whether the latter were bearded or white-haired; I am not interested in the author's childhood, or what she's wearing on an expedition., However, other readers might like this type of writing.

An absolutely fascinating look at the intelligence of plants. The book is written in a very approachable way - the science and information within can be easily read by anyone who is interested.
Schlanger's curiosity seeps off the page and encourages you to keep reading, to find the answers to her questions. I appreciated the balanced view we got too - this topic is still being researched and hotly debated within the scientific circles, and I found this to be a really fantastic overview of the current status.

If I were to describe The Light Eaters in an image, it would be its cover. You can safely expect to read what the cover evokes in you; a curious, persuasive and informative read about plants, their intelligence, importance and their rights to exist and thrive (to put in bizarre words).
The prologue was one of the best that I have read in a while. As in the example with giraffes and acacia leaves, it was fascinating to read different theories. Despite being an eARC, the references were linked, and it was extremely handy to click on the hyperlinks and review the references.
I love plants, but it is not only my love for them that made me request this book. Everyone would take plenty of value from learning about plants.
Schlanger’s writing and and research raises the bar for other science writers.

A fascinating look at the intelligence of the plant world all around us.This book is so well written so informative completely opened my eyes.Zoe Schlanger is an author I will be following.#netgalley #
4th estate.

I feel like a blindfold has been lifted. A beautiful revelatory book that filled me with fascination and hope.
Plants that can hear, disregard binaries and communicate across species. Plants that can see, that have evolved to mirror bats’ sonar back to them to entice the bat to pollinate its flowers, Proof that electricity flows through plants like a nervous system.
You’ll never look at a plant in the same way again! I couldn’t put it down.

A very exciting, captivating book. Stunning, honestly. The Lighteaters by Zoe Schlanger is a marvellous read that had me in awe with the wonderful wildlife that is still much worth reading about. Yes, climatecrisis is real, but this author tells us a story of what is all around us despite that: plants. And they have ways to communicate and even experience their surroundings like you won't believe it. Well, I do believe it, us humans are no way in charge of this globe, some of us just think they are :)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Un livre très intéressant dans lequel j'ai appris énormément ! Les recherches de ces dernières années sont absolument fascinantes.
La question de la conscience des plantes mais aussi de leur système de défense (voire d'attaque ?) est discutée, les expériences expliquées. Robin Wall Kimmerer et Merlin Sheldrake sont deux auteurs cités qui sont extrêmement intéressants également et qui montrent que ce livre s'appuie également sur des sources fiables. Je recommande ++!

Upon reading The Light Eaters I was immediately put in mind of the books of Johann Hari, and this is no criticism. These books follow a well worn template which works; first the author introduces their interest in the topic, they dig into it and then embark on a whistle stop tour around the world speaking to pioneers straining the field in unorthodox and unexpected directions.

Thus it is with The Light Eaters and each chapter in the book is underpinned by the hot topic of the moment, that of plant intelligence. I confess that, although I am clueless apropos biology, this is a hugely fascinating area which combines hard science with ethics and philosophy and the debate can be argued (fiercely) in either direction.

This book does not argue strongly for either viewpoint and, in fairness to Schlanger, presents a balance view and does not stray into clickbait language to impress her point.

This is an eminently readable popular science book which pays good service to this burgeoning field

Having read An Immense World by Ed Yong, I've become fascinated with the idea that the world is experienced so differently by different species and The Light Eaters really built on this fascination in the botanical sphere. We're all so interconnected on this planet, it's wonderful to discover the links between species and how we all rely on each other. How plants grow and adapt to their environment, interacting with fungi, insects and animals... wow.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mind-expanding exploration of plant sensing and intelligence and highly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the natural world.

The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger is a fascinating exploration of a "new" science - the field of plant intelligence and sentience. I use the term "new" as although the topic has been investigated for decades, it fell out of favour both in terms of research and funding.
This book made me look at plants in a different way as I learned about the ingenious techniques they have developed , from alerting near by plants to the presence of the insects that eat them to actively protecting "family members" and not competing with them for resources. It is fascinating to read about plants evolving the ability to mimic other species of plant or the ability to manipulate insects into pollinating them . There is so much we have yet to learn but this book gave an excellent overview and really piqued my interest in the topic. Clearly the book is very thoroughly researched and there are extensive footnotes , but I was really impressed by the author's skill in rendering the information in an entertaining way that was very accessible for the reader.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.