It is a funny book to read and enjoy as an audiobook, but surprisingly, it worked. The first half better suits the format with the author talking in depth (she is the narrator as well) about the history of indoor plants and the act of cultivation - not for consumption but for other reasons.

There is a lot of information to parse through, but as I mentioned, the first half is more like a story. The second half came upon me unexpectedly. I did not realise that this book will have an extensive list of houseplants in alphabetical order with their care instruction and short talking points.

It is a very thorough book, one that several houseplant lovers (who are also readers to some degree) would enjoy keeping around them to browse through.

I would not recommend this book to people who have no interest in the topic since the topic is explored in depth. The colonial beginnings of some of the 'fashions' and other smaller pieces of information were very interesting. I may not have retained everything about everything the author covered, but it was a book I am glad I picked up.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.

This book was very interesting for a plant lover like myself. I'm not a huge nonfiction person but I saw the plants and knew it was for me!

Taming the Potted Beast is a fun romp through the history and popularity of the humble (and at times pricey) houseplant. The book turns a spotlight on the captivating world of houseplants and their evolution alongside humans in the Anthropocene. This book helps guide the reader through a rich tapestry of our relationship with these "botanical wonders." Take time to water and prune that beloved corner greenery, while listening to this verdant journey, narrated by the author. It's like taking a stroll with a good friend sharing their latest podcast of note. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Audio, Andrews McMeel Publishing for the advanced audio copy via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I love these green children of mine and enjoyed learning more about their varied histories and growth in popularity over time.

This is a fascinating and engaging history of the houseplant. I learned so much about the plants in my house, and so much about plants I will NEVER have in my house! The history is handled honestly and sensitively, and the plant care sections are concrete and easy to follow. Just the book I was hoping it would be!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook while working in a Propagation Greenhouse, growing tropical houseplants! The audiobook itself was very well recorded, I appreciate that it was read by the author, I always think that gives a nuanced extra quality. It was particularly interesting to learn about certain tropical house plants and their history, as I was working with them. I often wonder why it is we grow certain things we do.

I got both the audiobook and the ebook from netgalley because I thought the pictures would be valuable. The narrator was great. Nonfiction doesn't usually keep my attention for long but this book was quick-paced and interesting. When I referenced the ebook copy to see if I did miss anything with the pictures, I was a little disappointed. I guess I had hoped for more illustrations. I will still strongly recommend this book. It was engaging and applicable.

As a plant lover this book was made for me! I got this one on audio and really enjoyed the narrator and flow of the book. The history mingled with plant care tips was delightful. However, I can't wait to get my hands on a print copy of this one so I can see the beautiful illustrations and reference back as needed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an audio galley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Unique, fascinating, and timely! This book was so cool to listen through. While I knew houseplants were always pretty popular, I had no idea of the history behind them. I would recommend this book to anyone to be honest! It was thoroughly enjoyable and I left it with more knowledge on plants.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐•5/5

I went into this book knowing nothing about plants but the basics and learned a lot. I liked that it didn't read like a textbook, which I appreciated. I think it would be perfect for those who are just starting and those who have been at it for a while. I loved learning the history of the plants and how we began to collect them. I really can't wait to read more from Molly Williams,

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for letting me read and review this

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for my copy of Taming the Potted Beast The Strange and Sensational History of the Not-So-Humble Houseplant by Molly Williams Narrated by Molly Williams in exchange for an honest review. It publishes September 13, 2022.
What a fun audiobook! First off, I have to say, I just loved that it was narrated by Molly Williams, since she is the author. I find books read by the author just are that much better!
I will totally be getting this book for my plant mom friends! This book is so cute, but packs a huge punch of great information, history and plant care, be still my soul!

I received an ARC of this audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

I love microhistories. That's a pretty well established fact. I also love houseplants, and I own a lot of them. However, Taming the Potted Beast didn't quite do it for me. The chapters were very short and felt cursory. There's a chance that the fact that I listened to it on audiobook further hampered the experience, due to the fact that the audiobook skipped the supplemental information that the author kept saying would be at the end of each chapter, and left it all for the end of the book. It was painfully boring to listen to her list different types of houseplants and their care instruction with no reference pictures included for over 10 minutes. I'm writing this review a couple of weeks after finishing up the book, and I struggle to remember any fact that was presented.

A pretty forgettable book, 3 out of 5 stars.

Very interesting listen! I love my plants & loved learning more. My only complaint is the voice actors voice irritated me, I’m sorrry.

I can honestly say I've never really thought about the history of the house plant, but this was fascinating and so much fun to listen to! It's such a great concept and Molly Williams does a wonderful job of combining the history with information and tips on plant care. I wouldn't have minded even more on the history side (it's about half and half), but that's partly because I travel a lot and can't own many plants or they'd die. I have one cactus and I'm honestly amazed every time I come home after months away and it's still alive. I'll admit I zoned out a bit when she was going over care for all the different kinds of plants, but I do think this would make a great reference book. And I definitely made a note whenever she mentioned a plant that would be good for someone who travels or often forgets to water their plants!

Williams discusses everything from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to technological advancements that allowed transport of plants on ships to Europe from overseas in the 19th century to what plants were commonly used in shopping malls in the 1980s, and she does it all in an interesting and engaging way. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting on a roadtrip and never got bored, and then proceeded to bring it up multiple times with the people I was visiting. I also have a copy of the ebook and it's full of adorable illustrations throughout.

This book would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys house plants, history, or even just interesting facts. I already have several people in mind who I know would love it and I'm looking forward to getting a physical copy myself!

This was the history book I didn't know I needed. I often see houseplants as background. This book gave them life, so to speak. Beginning in ancient times and marching through time to the present, this was an engaging and informative read!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I learned a lot about plants and the history of plants. Excellent information was shared in a well-written way.

I’ve really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It was not only entertaining, but I’ve also learned a lot about te history of houseplants and many wonderful tips about how to take proper care of them.

Molly Williams packs this comedic guide,' Taming the potted beast' with Histories greatest Hyper-fixation,
Known to commoners, to members of royalty like Cleopatra, and civilizations like Ancient Rome, She tells us about our leafy companions, house plants.

This reinforced my hyper fixation for plants and singlehandedly forced me to consider my relationship with consumerism and plant culture.
I highly recommend and I think this would be a great paired reading with Climate Justice by Mary Robinson and A life on our Planet by Sir David Attenborough

Arc review notes below:

AUDIOBOOK ARC
Audio is good quality it sounds good on all speeds and remains really consistent.

Interesting and fun narrative voice, I like that it proposes a social- philosophical consideration about ethics and history of not only house plants but the wider floral appreciating community. It was really passionate throughout the entire thing even when delivering instructions which was just really exciting.
The book made it really easy to imagine plant descriptions and suggestions for processes.

I loved the history aspects of the book and that we specifically had sections with extended readings recommended. Including Braiding Sweet grass and many other more specific topic recommendations.


Thankyou to Netgalley for access to this copy, I really enjoyed it.

A very entertaining audiobook about the History of potted plants and also on how to take care of your plants! Kept me glued to the book while taking care of my Garden for two days! Thank you!

This is a really amazing book, which is all about houseplants which come from all parts of the world. The author, who is also the narrator of the audiobook, wonderfully described each plant in a pleasant voice, in perfect detail, and she explained how to care for each plant.

I loved both the audiobook and the ebook, as both were fantastic, and were full of so much interesting knowledge and information, which have really helped me on my gardening journey. The ebook is full of beautiful images, which are really stunning.

This book really opened up my eyes more to the beauty of plants, and how to care for them. Although I mainly use my intuition to care for plants, it is also useful for me to find out more scientific knowledge to help me to look after my plants. This book gave me that, and more. I am always eager to learn new things to help me on my quest to take great care of the plants of this world. I am so amazed by plants, and their stunningly mesmerising energy, beauty and light, and every day I am so thankful to learn more about them, and experience time with them, which is a true gift and a wonderful blessing.

I was really surprised at how awesome this book is, and I highly recommend it to beginners, or even to those of you with a green thumb who already have years of knowledge behind you. Everyone should read this book with a cup of herbal tea in their hands, and escape to the plant kingdom with pleasure and joy.

Many thanks to the author/narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I was able to read the physical book and compare the audiobook, so I'm including my other review as well.

I wasn't sure how an audiobook on this type of subject would work, but I was able to follow it fine. It's structured differently from the book, putting the vignettes in a more narrative structure and having the plant advice together at the end.

I think the author did a good job reading her book, I found her pleasant and could tell how much she enjoys her field.

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I am at my core a history nerd, and diving into the deep history of something I care for really gets me going.

From the hanging gardens of Babylon to Cleopatra, Victorian Terrariums, and 70s macrame, I'm into it.

I've grown up with plants in the home, but I like many people during the pandemic started taking a more keen interest in my photosynthetic house makes.

I've successfully propagated my Philodendrons a few times and have gotten my rubber tree and island Fir to thrive indoors. I look forward to continuing adding to my collection, and I really loved the advise this book gave me.

I especially enjoyed the "Tips for Ethical Plant Buying" section. Its so important to be educated, and understand where and how things are sourced.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

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