Hi everybody this is Joe Lample the Joe behind Joe Gardner and welcome to the

Joe Gardner show it's been a while since I've uttered the two simple words I

know you love to hear but if ever there was a time and a place to do that, it's right now.

So as you're listening to me right now, let's say those two words together, shall we?

Three, two, one, Geek Alert.

Today I am thrilled to share with you my conversation with Zoe Schlinger.

She's the author of the Plant Eaters.

I know many of you have heard about it by now and quite a few no doubt have read it.

It's her very first book, but she hit the ground running. In the short time since its release,

it's a New York Times bestseller, and Robin Wall Kimmer,

author of Brady Sweetgrass, called it a masterpiece of science writing, and she

nailed it. And here's the best part. It's all about plants. And it just doesn't get any better than that.

For the past five years or so, Zoe Schlinger has been a staff writer for the Atlantic with a focus on climate change.

But as you can imagine, those stories don't often have a happy theme,

and it can take its toll on those who make a living reporting on this topic.

So no surprise when Zoe made a request to take some time off to explore the opportunity to write this book.

She was granted that time, but who knew that this project would take her around the world over four years and as she says it could have

taken much longer interviewing some of the most interesting scientists doing

deep dives into plant biology and the possible evidence of plant

intelligence.

The plants here, see, sense touch, are recognized family members,

and what are some of the many ways that they communicate?

...