I found this an interesting book about succulents. I had no idea that they were considered such a desirable and limited resource. I am a big conservationist and hope that this book will help succulents succeed. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

A factual & psychoanalytical look at the illicit succulent trade. At times interesting, other times a bit too heavy on academic jargon.

Who would have thought that you can relate psychotherapy with the illegal trade? Before I read this book, I thought poaching was only for animals. Well, apparently it’s also for plants! This was really an interesting, albeit somewhat hard to understand read. I had to read and reread sentences a lot of times so I could get the gist of what the author was saying. Enjoyable, though!

I was excited by this book, but it was a huge let down. I expected a microhistory similar to Orchid Thief, but this was far too academic.

This book covers a lot of stuff and offers interesting reflections, but its tone is dry and it contains a lot of jargony words (particularly in the parts that focus on the psychoanalytic side of things) which gets frustrating at times, especially when Margulies lets some personality slip into the text and you realize that he is capable of writing in a compelling way. If you can get past that it's a sprawling account of what makes the succulent trade what it is from conservation efforts to collectors to historical factors. The part about Czech collectors was particularly charming and unexpected (at least for a planty person who isn't into succulents at all it was) and I would happily recommend this book on account of that part.
Many thanks to the University of Minnesota Press and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of this book for review consideration.

The Cactus Hunters explored the explosive illicit trade in succulents and the passion that drives it. It goes deeply into the psychology behind the succulent craze.

Succulents are extremely popular but most people probably don't know how popular. The enormity of the illegal sale and trade of plants that many haven't even heard of is very interesting. The book attempts to give an in depth, behind the scenes look at this.

It's clear the author did a lot of research. He traveled and met with people who have knowledge about the succulent trade. The problem is that more information is needed on succulents first before the average reader can begin to understand. There isn't much information given in succulents and cacti themselves in this book so we are left with pages and pages of the psychology behind the desire to collect. That is a lot to take in and is written in a dry manner. It was hard to hold interest even when the book talks about the traders. I feel like the overwhelming focus on the psychology to see why these people do what they do didn't lead me to learn what I was hoping.

The Cactus Hunters by Jared D. Margulies #dnf #arc

This book is theoretically about the illegal trade of succulents. I didn’t get that far. I don’t like not finishing a book that I was given to review. But this one started off so bizarrely that I couldn’t keep on. I gave it 20% and this is not a small book.

It begins explaining how the author became invested in the subject, but then it quickly diverts to Lacanian Psychoanalysis. He says:
“This book is a political ecology of desire, and as such, I conceptualize the production of desire as a framework for psychoanalytic political ecologies.” Every sentence is like that. He goes on to describe jouissance, “this aching kind of pleasure brought about in the failure to obtain satisfaction” which is interesting enough, but then doesn’t actually get to the point in linking that concept to the cactus hunters. At least not in the first 75 pages. The author would reference a story that sounded interesting but then say he would discuss it in chapter 7. He did this several times in the part that I got through.

I gave up. There was barely any discussion about cacti or the hunters by this point, and I was bored. I adore a good microhistory or nonfiction book, but this wasn’t it. I need a book to hook me sooner than this. There may have been a good payoff later but I wasn’t willing to stick it out.

Thank you to @netgalley and @uminnpress for the advance copy. (Pub date 11/14/23)

I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into with Cactus Hunters, but it was a fun ride. Margulies does a great job using both interviews and research to keep the reader engaged. I personally found the section on Czech collectors fascinating.

An interestign nonfiction book about succulent collecting and its environmental impact. This book was fascinating when it focused on the author’s interviews with collectors, law enforcement, and owners of succulent greenhouses as well as trips to see plants in habitat. A lot of the book focused on psycho-analyzing what motivates people to collect, why certain things are more likely to attain value in collector circles, and how extinction inspires anxiety. I think the book got a bit lost in the sauce with some of the psychology, it took on a very dry, academic tone and got more abstract than I preferred.

When I first started reading this book I immediately thought of "tulip fever" by Deborah moggach with the Dutch fascination with tulip bulbs, but, for me, this book was sadly a bit dull and I found it difficult to engage with. I can appreciate the writer's obsession but I'm not sure they were able to share it in their writing.
Thank you to netgalley and University of minnesota press for an advance copy of this book

When reading this book, I compared it to Susan Orlean’s book The Orchid Thief. The difference is Orleans got involved in the character and motivation of John Laroche. This book, even though I like succulents is extremely dull. The author just lists facts and quotes other researchers. There is no human interest in this book.

I thought I was going to read about the history of cacti but instead I got a fascinating look at the illegal succulent trade. Jared Margulies details the whole succulent trading, and what these collectors are looking for in the succulents they illegally trade. Who knew there was a succulent smuggling ring in South Korea for example? This book was a real treat, and I would recommend it for everyone. You don't have to be a lover of cacti to appreciate the book. Margulies's writing and story are compelling for everyone.

Thank you Net Galley for providing this book and allowing me to read it in advance. I was unable to personally get into this book but that is the power of reading. There’s books for everyone. I know someone else will adore it!

As an avid gardener, I love learning about species of plants that are somewhat unfamiliar to me. So when I saw this book offered on NetGalley, I jumped on the chance to read it. I had absolutely no idea that there is an illegal trade in, of all things, cactus! I found the book to be very informative. The author's research is deep and well described. It's an interesting read, although at times a bit hard to understand all of the scientific writing. It made me think.

This was an entertaining and informative read. I found myself sharing what I learned from this book with those around me. I recommend it to fans of good and highly readable non-fiction.

This book was definitely intriguing. I had no idea that there was an illegal succulent trade. Honestly, who knew? Very interesting read for a plant lover.

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

I became interested in houseplants during the pandemic and grew to have a real appreciation for my indoor tropical plants. I even have a bit of a collection going now, but I haven't ever given much thought to how exactly these plants are acquired. The Cactus Hunters details the author's descent down the rabbit hole of the illegal succulent trade, and it was so much more expansive than I would have imagined. There are many sides to consider here with the trade; how some collectors value "authenticity" of plants and refuse plants grown from cuttings, how poachers seem themselves as conserving rare species even as they commodify the plants, how conservationists are trying to preserve the biodiversity that the illegal trade threatens. As a note, this book is heavy on academic jargon as the author was conducting their PhD research and as a result reads at times like a textbook more than non-fiction; something which is not wholly surprising to me as the publisher is a university press. Be aware of the language and format though if academic writing is not something you are used to reading. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this work and it's clear the author has a lot of passion about the topic which highly contributes to the enjoyability.

I didn’t know anything about the illegal succulent trade. What an interesting, educational and insightful book.

The summary is what really drew me in and led to me requesting this book through Netgalley. As someone who is an avid collector of house plants (but not many succulents/cacti), the illegal succulent trade is not a topic I had ever heard of before. It gave a whole new perspective on this hobby of mine, and what it means to collect and the desire behind it.
What I liked most about this book is the way it made me think, which is not what I was expecting when I first started it. What I was expecting was to learn about a brand new topic, but I got so much more out of this book. Especially as someone who works in the field of conservation, and can understand the perspective of the conservationists interviewed in this book. However, it also introduced the new perspective of succulent collectors and made me view some aspects of my job in another light.
Overall, this book was both educational and insightful. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the University of Minnesota Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.