Reddit reviews Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

It's on sale right now! It's usually $15 (I've had it on my wishlist for a couple of years)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565126831/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_K0JsDbXNJZCDH

http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Plants-Lincolns-Botanical-Atrocities/dp/1565126831

Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart is probably at your local library. They also have used copies on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Plants-Lincolns-Botanical-Atrocities/dp/1565126831/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473868854&sr=1-1&keywords=wicked+plants

Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart is a good popular science read about toxic/illegal/invasive plant species and breifly covers the history, medicine, science, and myths & legends pertaining to each specimen. The mythology/legends of plants are in no way the focus of the book, but are sprinkled in here and there for them when it applies.

A quick amazon search led me to Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics : Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-Lore of the Plant Kingdom. It was written in 1884, so is likely outdated but from the title it seems interesting at least.

I also came across this book that, according to its description, is an "entertaining and enlightening one-of-a-kind compendium of the world’s most amazing and bizarre plants, their history, and their lore"

HAHA yea man, this Hemlock tree was totally put here for you - Wicked Plants

This book is green AND it's about plants I've been intrigued by this book for a while haha ;)

I'm in the same boat as you and just started reading a lot of science stuff.

It might be a good idea to pick up an edition of The Best American Science [and Nature] Writing for lots of topics all at once.

I also second the Brian Greene books, early Dawkins, and The Red Queen. But I don't really understand all the Hofstadter hype... I really didn't like I Am a Strange Loop--I found it extremely poorly written, off-topic, at times pretentious, poorly constructed, and overall not a very pleasant experience.

Most of my interest is in biology and evolution, so my recommendations would be:

My favorite animal rights book: Created From Animals - Rachels

A really fun read about poisonous plants: Wicked Plants - Stewart

Another Stewart book about earthworms: The Earth Moved - Stewart

Also anything by Michael Pollan, and to complement that, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

If you're interested in a fun read on the topic, check out Wicked Plants

[Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565126831/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.Rt0AbEYEHBHQ) (under coffee table books...which I am obsessed with!)

Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

I bet this is SO GOOD!!