Rating: 
Summary: A classic on Plants Emotional, and Telepathic Life
Review:
Is a plant a material thing, or an intelligent, conscious being?
The thesis on this book is based on the scientific fact that plants are living, breathing, communicating creatures, endowed with personality, and the attributes of a Soul.
It is evident many people have not accepted the precise data in this book, facts that demonstrate the vegetable kingdom is able to remember and react according to the presence of a friend, or a foe; feel pleasure and pain, love or even fear.
According to experiments made in the USA, and in Russia during the 1970s plants adapt to human wishes, respond to music, telepathically communicate with people, and with other plants. Its been also verified space is not barrier for the telepathic communication between people and plants (It will be eventually discovered that time is not a barrier for communication either)
Last week I was reading this book at a swimming pool, which is beautifully enclosed by palm trees. Telepathically I told to the palm trees I was grateful for their shade and their presence there. What did those palms answer me? "We will always protect you, life cannot be destroyed because life is Love". How can a plant, apparently so primitive, understand that kind of things?
In 1980s I had a small disagreement with some noisy neighbors. The plants located between the two homes, while in meditation, told me, "we don't like it, the disagreement between the two families, the whole thing bother us" Of course even in those years I understood plants were conscious. Fortunately the noisy ones moved out in less than a year.
In the last 32 years many people have understood the importance of plant life, the vegetable kingdom and its correlation with man, and with other plants. Yet there is apathy in accepting the irrefutable need for mind-reading type of communication with plants. Plants, like cetaceans, possess a level of mental communication much more advanced than originally believed.
Rating: 
Summary: Essential to the herbalist
Review: As a chartered herbalist, I found a wealth of information in this book. I know what effect different plants constituents produce in the human body and was looking for something to teach me what affects the plants that heal us. How could I help my plants to develop to their maximum potential so they would produce herbal products of the finest quality and potency. To gain an understanding of how we can work with plants for our own health and healing as I believe it is a joint venture. Although I don't take any information as gospel I believe the information in this book gives me the tools to test the theories myself and draw my own conclusions. Fascinating to learn what I have always suspected - care for the soil, the plants and they will care for you
Rating:
Summary: Belongs on every bookshelf.
Review: I remember reading this book for the first time in the 1970's - it's concepts were new. Remember when it was a new idea to "talk to our plants"? Some people balked at the idea, but today it isn't that new, we know now that plants respond to our thoughts and emotions.
This is a valuable book on every bookshelf!
Rating: 
Summary: More New Age Nonsense
Review: If they really were sentient beings, one must wonder if plants are as gullible as the humans that believe this book. If so, plants must be having a jolly good laugh.
Peter Tomkins and Christopher Bird based a large part of this book on the work of Cleve Backster, a "scientist" of questionable credentials. Backster's "experiments" on the galvanic skin response of plants, first published in the International Journal of Parapsychology in 1968, have been thoroughly refuted by qualified scientists using proper controls. No duplication of Backster's experiments using genuine scientific methods have ever produced a similar result. But heaven forbid anything as trivial as facts or evidence interfere with new age anthropomorphization.
This book belongs on the "some people will believe anything" shelf alongside faux scientific tomes on crop circles, ESP, spoon bending, astrology, and other pseudo-science nonsense. Readers wishing to better understand the fascinating world of botany would be better advised to spend their money on any number of truly scientific books on plants.
Rating:
Summary: Life affirming scientific case studies of vegetable life
Review: It is an axiom oft stated that the magic of one century becomes the science of the next. This overly hopeful idea of how perceptions of human knowledge change in time is not supported by this book. Ideas seen as magical are not inevitably accepted by mainstream scientists; instead, theories and practices proven by experiment are routinely denied admission into the halls of academe, because of they support a science of life rather than one of death, and envision a universe which is alive and fertile, a living organism in fact, rather than one which is dead and brittle, made up of pieces with which scientists can play as if they were Tinkertoys.Tompkins and Bird present this thesis by means of a number of case studies of thinkers at the vanguard of botanical thought. Among these actors in this new study of plant life are Cleve Backster, who showed that plants can sense the emotions of humans; Luther Burbank, who demonstrated that plants will grow to please members of our race; and various researchers who proved that plants will respond to music, growing toward the music of Bach and fleeing that of Led Zeppelin. These experiments prove conclusively that the standard definition of plants as insensible is inaccurate. These experiments are only the surface of this book, however, the intent of which is not only to do away with old thinking on this matter, but also to inform us or perhaps just to remind us that the entire planet is alive, and that it is for the good of the planet that we begin to feed ourselves in a simpler manner. The authors accordingly provide case studies of farmers, such as J. Rodale, who raise healthy crops without artificial fertilizers or pesticides. These crops have a far greater output than do those raised by conventional methods, because the earth responds to the simpler methods better than to the harsh materialistic approaches advocated by the government and by fertilizer manufacturers. This book, then, will show those willing to see that plants not only can communicate with us, but that they also are willing to work with humanity to return us to Eden, or more prosaically, that through methods less harmful to the environment and less expensive than commercial fertilizers, farmers can raise crops which surpass the abundance of those raised by conventional methods. There are a few cases, such as those in the chapter on radionic pesticides, which were not supported by sufficient evidence to prove their points, but in general this book demonstrates that plants are indeed more alive than we suspected, and are our willing helpmates in all aspects of life, if we would but listen. Recommended for all who work with plants, and for those who already believe in the living universe, and who want to see scientific confirmation of that fact.
Rating:
Summary: look deeper
Review: It seems as if a lot of the reviewers below think this book is cute. Alot of them say that if you are into plants and flowers than you will find this interesting. I agree on that level, but this book has a much stronger undercurrent that I hope alot of people will pay attention to. Through a series of experiments, the authors portray the sentient quality of common plants. The simple fact that a plant "knows" when you are thinking bad thoughts. They respond to external stimulai much like any human would. In fact, it seems as if their "awareness" is heightened to include those in the psychic categories. In one experiment, they have a random selection of men. One is chosen at random to go in and destroy one of three plants. The other two plants (common rhododendron) are then hooked up to electro-encephalographs (EEG - brain wave monitors.) and they march the men in one by one. The plants exhibit no alarm, but as soon as the one responsible for the plant death enters the room, the other two plants start registering wildy on the graphs. Basically, they knew who it was that killed their friend. Or, too be more blunt, they read his mind. This has incredible implications for those who believe plants (and animals) are lesser beings. The idea I got from this, is that there is an energy that flows throughout everything on this planet and through space universal. One invisible energy that ties us all together. Man, woman, cat, dog, tree, possibly even rocks (Read the Celestine Prophecy, or study the Nepalese monks that live in the Himalayas, and maybe you'll see what I am getting at.) are all interconnected. In most religious groups there is talk of God within us, from Christianity to Islam, from Buddhism to Hinduism. Could it be that god is everything and everywhere at once. Always and always. I might be getting carried away here, but I feel that this book has touched on something strong. The whole universe is sentient. Now when I go for a hike I feel as if the woods are completely aware of my presence and not only that, but they are aware of my vibes that I give off, aware of my appreciation. I love the woods and after reading this book, it makes sense that the woods love me back because of that. Play some good music for your plants tonight.
Rating:
Summary: licks the bottom of the toilet
Review: Pseudo-science, fantasy, mysticism, fuzziness, all within a hard "OH NOS THE CLOSED-MINDED SCIENTIFIC ESTABLISHMENT IS TRYING TO QUIET THE TRUTH (and God forbid we should expose our fragile plants to controlled, repeatable, verifiable conditions) RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE" shell. I liked this book when I was sixteen, and preferred dreams over reality. Now, with slightly higher standards, I find this book worth little more than the cackles evoked on nearly every page.
Rating:
Summary: licks the bottom of the toilet
Review: The science of plant life and human interaction come to life in this fine book and if read with an open mind and heart, one will no doubt be left with a new awe and feeling for our plant world. One might also feel the rage about the assault of the thoughtless/needless chemical assaults perpetrated against plant life- overflowing into all other life forms- what goes around, comes around! (Kharma, as in bad?) Rachel Carson's beautiful and enlightning work: "Silent Spring", is mentioned along with a host of other not so well known scientist and farmer's such as England's Friend Sykes who in 1951 wrote about the alarming side effects of the chemical pesticides and fertilizers and the ludicrous, unneccessary, vicious cycle of ever expanding need for more chemicals while nature is so expertly altering it's composition to resist this assault. Of course, the chemical manufacturers (aka: merchants of poison and death) are laughing all the way to the bank with this dangerous and insidious snake-oil scam. As other reviewers have stated, "this book should be read by every human on the planet"
Rating:
Summary: This Book is Pseudoscience at its Worst
Review: This book is mind boggling and filled with lots of scientific studies that tell us how plants can tell whether or not a person has intent to kill them; how plants can help out a fellow plant that is deprived of water; how our positive energy can keep a leaf alive for 2 months and much much more. This is a must read for all botanists and plant lovers. I actually recommend this book to everyone on the planet.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read For Plant Lovers
Review: This is a must read for anyone with an interest in the Plant Kingdom. The book touches areas of science, spirituality, and nutrition conspiracies.
The begining part of the book, tells us about humans andhow their thought patterns, can make plants thrive or die. Examples of a lie detector being hooked up to a plant, which detects nervous energy when threatened by fire. Also the use of positive and negative thinking to influence the growth of plants. Showing through intensive research that plants do have feelings and possibly what we believe as a soul.
The book moves along, explaining the many experiments done with humans and plants. We see how specific music can benefit or stagnate growth, this is probally true for both humans and plants. We get a taste of nutritional information, with the knowledge that refined foods do not give our bodies complete nutrients, ( i.e. sugar, flour, basically anything processed ). Food designed to make us ill? Thoughts arise with information found in this book.
The end of the book brings us a look at organic farming, the benefits for humans, and the soil.
This book touches on many exciting facts and for my second time through it, I was still thrilled about discoveries that were made over 30 years ago. I hope that many people will enjoy this book as much as I have.
|
