What a Plant Knows is a popular science book by Daniel Chamovitz, originally published in 2012, discussing the sensory system of plants.[1] A revised edition was published in 2017.[2]
Judiciously manipulating similes with dashes of anthropomorphism, Chamovitz introduces each of the vital human senses (all except taste) and explains its meaning for humans as contrasted with its function in plants. There are no noses or eyes as such in the plant world, but there are organs and responses that mimic our physiology. Much like how humans smell food, plants too have chemical receptors that bind to very specific gaseous chemical compounds. The author recounts how willows, attacked by caterpillars, send airborne pheromones to neighboring willows. Warned by these gaseous signals (or “smells”) of a nearby infestation, the neighbors begin manufacturing increased levels of toxic chemicals to render their leaves unpalatable to the caterpillars.[3]
 | |
| Author | Daniel Chamovitz |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science book, Popular science |
| Publisher | Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux (U.S.) |
Publication date | May 22, 2012 (U.S.) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 177 (Paperback edition: April 30, 2013); 201(Revised edition: Nov 21, 2017); |
Release details / Editions / Publication
Hardcover edition, 2012[4]
Paperback version, 2013[5]
Revised edition, 2017[6]
What a Plant Knows has been translated and published in a number of languages.[7]
| Language | Publisher | Publication year | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| English (USA) | Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 2012 | 2nd edition 2017 |
| English (UK) | One World | 2012 | 2nd edition 2017 |
| English (Australia) | Scribe | 2012 | 2nd edition 2017 |
| Japanese | Kawade Shobo Shinsha | 2012 | |
| Chinese (simplified) | Beijing Mediatime Books | 2012 | 2nd edition, 2018 |
| Hebrew | Matar | 2013 | 2nd edition, 2023 |
| Chinese (complex) | Rye Field | 2012 | |
| German Was Pflanzen wissen: wie sie sehen, riechen und sich erinnern | Hanser | 2012 | 2nd edition, 2017 |
| Korean | Darun | 2013 | 2nd edition 2019 |
| Croatian | Planetopija | 2013 | |
| Estonian Mida Taim Teab | Aripaev | 2012 | |
| Polish Zmysłowe życie roślin: podreczny atlas zmysłów | WAB | 2013 | |
| Italian Quel che una pianta sa: guida ai sensi nel mondo vegetale | Cortina | 2013 | |
| French La Plante et ses sens | Buchet Chastel | 2013 | 2nd edition 2018 |
| Russian | Centrepolygraph | 2017 | |
| Serbian | Center for the Promotion of Science | 2017 | |
| Slovanian | ARA Zalozba | 2018 | |
| Czech | Academia | 2020 | |
| Turkish | Metis | 2018 | |
| Hungarian | Park Konyvkiado Kft | 2018 | |
| Spanish | Ariel | 2019 | |
| Thai | Bookscape Publishing House | 2024 |
References
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