The Incredible Journey of Plants

By: Stefano Mancuso, Gregory Conti - translator

Narrated by: David Stifel

When we talk about migrations, we should study plants to understand that these phenomena are unstoppable. In the many different ways plants move, we can see the incessant action and drive to spread life that has led plants to colonize every possible environment on earth. The history of this relentless expansion is unknown to most people, but we can begin our exploration with these surprising tales, engagingly told by Stefano Mancuso.

Generation after generation, using spores, seeds, or any other means available, plants move in the world to conquer new spaces. The number and variety of tools through which seeds spread is astonishing: we have seeds dispersed by wind, by rolling on the ground, by animals, by water, or by a simple fall from the plant, which can happen thanks to propulsive mechanisms, the swaying of the mother plant, the drying of the fruit, and much more.

In this accessible, absorbing overview, Mancuso considers how plants convince animals to transport them around the world, and how some plants need particular animals to spread; how they have been able to grow in places so inaccessible and inhospitable as to remain isolated; how they resisted the atomic bomb and the Chernobyl disaster; how they are able to bring life to sterile islands; how they can travel through the ages, as they sail around the world.

©2018 Gius. Laterza & Figli (P)2020 Tantor

A wonderful experience with plants

This is a wonderful guide to the inner life of plants. Thank you, Stefan Mancuso and your translation and performance crew, Gregory Conti and David Stifel, respectively. This reads well in English and is performed well.

Alot of Interesting Facts

told so anyone can understand, alot of really interesting facts I'd never heard before. all plant lovers will enjoy.

Some incredible stories!

Started out a little slow, and had to get used to the Latin names, but I really enjoyed this book overall and would recommend it to anyone. A unique perspective on our floral friends. Had a lot of plants I was unfamiliar with that were exciting to look up to see in person online!

Fun and Lovely read

Very interesting book! Science nerd here who also loves plants 🥼💅💕 loved hearing all of the random bits of info from history related to plants, really enjoyed this read. I appreciate it being translated into English AND on Audible for free!!

Elegant and moving prose

This story is a wonderful example of Italian to English writing. I cannot wait to hear more of Mancuso’s work. The personal stories and historical tales truly make plants feel like persons of this world in a way few other scientific publications manage, even when they speak of people and animals.