Books Recommended by Michael Pollan
Home Economics
Wendell Berry
Source: "I’ve learned more from [this author] than anyone else about how best to engage with nature, and how to write a sturdy and pleasing English sentence." - Michael Pollan
The Gift of Good Land
Further Essays Cultural and Agricultural
Wendell Berry
Source: "I’ve learned more from [this author] than anyone else about how best to engage with nature, and how to write a sturdy and pleasing English sentence." - Michael Pollan
Walden
Henry David Thoreau
Source: "For its bracing prose as much as anything else. I’ve been arguing with [the author] for most of my career." - Michael Pollan
Dirt
Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking
Bill Buford
Source: "If you're at all interested in cooking, or France, or great prose, you won't want to miss this book." - Michael Pollan
Paper Lion
Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback
George Plimpton
Source: "In retrospect, this beautifully written and hilarious narrative made me a journalist." - Michael Pollan
The Odyssey
Homer
Source: "... And not just because there are so many great barbecue scenes." - Michael Pollan
Changes in the Land
Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England
William Cronon
Source: "Taught me how to look at a landscape and see not just nature but history as well." - Michael Pollan
Liberty Under Siege
American Politics, 1976-1988
Walter Karp
Source: "The most original observer of American politics in the second half of the 20th century." - Michael Pollan
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide
Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys
James Fadiman
Source: "Actually has very good advice for people who want to guide, or are shopping for a guide." - Michael Pollan
The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Source: "Sentence by sentence, some of the most stimulating thoughts anywhere." - Michael Pollan
How to Dress an Egg
Surprising and Simple Ways to Cook Dinner
Peter Kaminsky
Source: "The perfect book for this moment when we're all cooking like crazy." - Michael Pollan
The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell
Aldous Huxley
Source: "A very famous book about what were not then known as psychedelics." - Michael Pollan
Sexual Personae
Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson
Camille Paglia
Source: "A crazy and brilliant survey of Western literature." - Michael Pollan
On Drugs
David Lenson
Source: "Little known, but the smartest book on drugs I know of." - Michael Pollan
The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
Source: "A powerful piece of journalism disguised as a novel." - Michael Pollan
The Healing Journey
Pioneering Approaches to Psychedelic Therapy
Claudio Naranjo
Source: "So that you understand what a good guide looks like." - Michael Pollan
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
DSM-5
American Psychiatric Association
Source: "The bible of psychiatric diagnoses." - Michael Pollan
Acid Test
LSD, Ecstasy, and the Power to Heal
Tom Shroder
Source: "A good book on MDMA therapy." - Michael Pollan
The Immortality Key
The Secret History of the Religion with No Name
Brian C. Muraresku
Source: "Fascinating." - Michael Pollan
FAQ
Did Michael Pollan recommend all these books?
Not necessarily. This book list has Michael Pollan must-read recommendations, but it also has a mix of mentions and suggestions.
How do you know Michael Pollan mentioned these books?
Every suggestion made by Michael Pollan is validated by our editors. You can find the sources to the recommendations linked next to the books.
Did Michael Pollan actually create this list?
No. This reading list was curated by our editors based on confirmed mentions from Michael Pollan, the sources are made available under each recommendation.
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