Book Review - Sacred Plants of the Americas - Princeton University Press

     The juxtaposition of science and indigenous knowledge has long been a subject of great interest to me, particularly as it concerns our relationship with nature in its many and varied guises. Not least among these is the supreme importance of plants  throughout The Americas and their connection to the spiritual lives of aboriginal people, whether influenced by a shaman or as an act of personal reverence. And this does not even touch on the intimate knowledge of the therapeutic and pharmacological qualities of sacred plants.

     Much of this knowledge, passed down from generation to generation,  has been under threat since the very first encounters between white explorers, conquistadors, capitalists and mercenaries; some indeed has been lost along with native land, languages and cultural identities. The authors are correct when they state, "Christianity and extraactivist economies have been operating together with devastating consequences for Indigenous peoples in the Americas for centuries."

     Fortunately, these attitudes are undergoing change, albeit slowly and piecemeal, but change nonetheless, with a recognition that Indigenous wisdom has much to offer, reviving and rehabilitating knowledge dismissed out-of-hand by colonial arrogance. My bookshelves contain works by Wade Davis (and through him a connection to perhaps the greatest ethnobotanist of all time, Richard Evans Schultes), Monica Gagliano, Stefano Mancuso, and the most eloquent of all, Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose Braiding Sweetgrass should be required reading for  everyone who cares about the planet. 

     This book is an incredibly valuable addition to the literature, with its dazzling images that leave me breathless. In addition to "simple" photographs of the plants, seemingly innocent of the powerhouse of stimulatory and medicinal compounds they contain, confocal microscopy is used to deliver images as psychedelic as the plants themselves!

     Briefly, confocal microscopy is an optical technique for increasing optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by means of using a spatial pinhole to block out-of-focus light in image formation. Capturing multiple two-dimensional images at different depths in a sample enables the reconstruction of three-dimensional structures within an object. (Wikipedia).

     Surely the brightest stars in the galaxy could barely compete with the brilliant beauty of these images.

     I have turned the pages of this book many, many times, and still I am left in awe of this hitherto hidden beauty.

     This book would make a fine coffee table book, and should be displayed for all to see. But it is more than that. It contains a wealth of information on each of the more than fifty plants featured, in addition to cultural references, historical facts, the present state of the plant and its uses, and speculation as to what the future holds from ethnographic and curative perspectives. 

     I am indebted to Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White for sharing their work with us, enabling us to benefit from their concern and compassion.

     You will not be displeased, I am sure, if I end this review on a personal note. My wife, Miriam, is an accomplished quilter with a great eye for symmetry, colour matching, design, creativity and all that goes into the completion of a work of art. Even though I am exposed to her formidable skills daily, I never cease to wonder how she does it. 

     When I showed her the confocal pictures in the book she immediately exclaimed, "Wouldn't that make wonderful fabric!" Indeed it would, and I can only imagine what she could do with it. But I can assure that it would be great, inspired in no small part by a deep respect for Indigenous people everywhere; a heartfelt tribute to maligned humans for whom justice has been delayed far too long.

Sacred Plants of the Americas - Princeton University Press

Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White

Hardcover - US$45.00 - ISBN: 9780691296074

264 pages - 10 x 11 inches (25 x 27.5 cm)

200+ colour illustrations - 48 maps

Publishing date: 11 August, 2026

Book Review - A is for Amoeba: The Story of Life in a Single Cell - Princeton University Press

 

     A is for Amoeba, but A is also for admiration, appreciation and applause. Who could imagine that a book about the allegedly lowly amoeba could be both educational and entertaining, fun to read yet packing a storehouse of knowledge.

     If there is such a person as an amoebaphile I have become one! And if I have coined a word, so much the better!

     Nicholas Money writes with his characteristic wry humour, while simultaneously conferring the benefit of his impressive credentials as a biologist of note. He even provides juicy bits about the array of deviant scientists who have contributed to amoeba research over the centuries. It is all done in a manner that makes the book a joy to read.

     I had not thought much about amoebas in many a year and I suspect that is true for you too. After all, who dwells on a microscopic blob, invisible without the aid of powerful optics, that doesn't even have a sex life and clones itself in perpetuity? 

     In fact amoebas influence our lives in more ways that we might imagine, having the largest genome of any organism. They have the potential for both great good and devastating harm in the treatment of human illnesses. Researchers are trying to replicate the beneficial actions of amoebas in the quest for cures to types of cancer that still resist all treatments so far devised. With AI and robotics in the ascendancy, artificial amoebas may hold the key to defeating intractable illnesses that cause great suffering to humans. 

     If the narrative of a microbe can grip the reader, this is the book to do it. I found it hugely satisfying.

A is for Amoeba: The Story of Life in a Single Cell - Princeton University Press

Nicholas P. Money

Hardcover - US$27.95 - ISBN: 9780691266985

240 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25cm)

10 black-and-white illustrations

Publication date: 11 August, 2026

Victoria, BC - Part 2

20 June, 2026 

     I was up around 05h:00, (my normal time), after a good night's sleep; my body seemed to have quickly adjusted to the three-hour time difference between British Columbia and Ontario.

     Jan served us a terrific breakfast of fruit with yogurt, an omelette and toast - and coffee, of course.

     Suitably fortified, we were all set to go for a long walk.

     Here is a look at Jan's co-op apartment building, a mere five minutes (or less) from the Oak Bay waterfront.

     If you have ever visited Oak Bay you will be familiar with this welcome to the marina.

     It was all quite serene on a gorgeous summer morning.

     A juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glauscens) took to the air.

     We walked to end of the breakwater, up one side and down the other. 

     Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) was floating in the water, bobbing on the swell.

     Plants will become established wherever there is a little soil for a seed to take hold; Gumplants (genus Grindelia) are common in this environment.

     Organisms in the subfamily Xanthoriodeae are lichen-forming fungi, mostly living on rocks.

     Sweetclover (genus Melilotus) is tenacious and pleasing to the eye - at least to my eye!

     Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima) was common.

     Opportunistic Northwestern Crows (Corvus brachyrynchos caurinus) could be reliably expected at the beach and along the shore, searching for natural food and hoping for an extra helping from wasteful humans.

     We were led by Jan on a regular walk that she takes. Along the way we passed through some very attractive upscale neighbourhoods.

     Beautiful gardens were everywhere.

     Flower boxes to delight the eye.

     It is always a joy to see free libraries and Victoria seemed to be well served by them.

     When we first spotted this cat it was lying on top of the library, perhaps waiting for someone to drop off a copy of "The Cat in the Hat!"

     It was a gorgeous animal, obviously someone's cherished pet.

     It was very handsome and received lots of attention from us.

     Each time we glanced out over the bay it seemed like a scene made for a picture postcard.

     Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) have totally integrated into the urban life of the Greater Victoria area. 

     We quickly became accustomed to seeing them, and enjoyed them very much. No doubt they are considered marauders by avid gardeners!

     Magnificent oaks (genus Quercus) were seen everywhere we travelled.

     California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) lined many of the streets; they are exceptionally charismatic, bright and uplifting.

     We saw Roses (genus Rosa) in many locations. Most are probably cultivars of one kind or another, but some seem to have colonized roadsides and are thriving.

     We walked alongside the Royal Victoria Golf Course, with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop.

     My grandson, Sam, is a keen golfer, and without a doubt would love to play eighteen holes here.

     Many wildflowers are less flamboyant than domesticated varieties, but are nevertheless attractive, making their home in wild spaces, often in poor soil.

Yarrows (genus Achillea)

Common Cat's Ear (Hypochaeris radicata)

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

     Another impressive residence.

     Bumble Bees (genus Bombus) foraged among the flowers for nectar and pollen.

     A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) patiently worked the shallow edge of the sea.

     A pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) quietly went about their business.

     We detoured through Anderson Hill Park on the way home.

     There is always a chance that one might see Orcas (Orcinus orca) from this high lookout, but today we had to be content with a fine view of the bay.....

     ..... and a small pod of Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) off in the distance.

     There was much to enchant the eye as we meandered through the park and out into the nearby residential areas.

Genus Lobularia

     A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) was busy.

     This Rose-of-Sharon (Hypericum calycinum) was spectacular.

     As a child I used to pinch the flowers of foxgloves so that I could pop them, so Purple Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) evoked fond memories of a simpler time.

     The loud yank call of the Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) signalled its presence and it didn't take long to find the bird.

     That master wordsmith, Arthur Cleveland Bent described the bird as "a happy, jolly little bird, surprisingly quick and agile." I agree! 

     Near to home is the Oak Bay Rose Garden and we very much enjoyed a visit there.

     Without further commentary from me, here is just some of what we saw.

     It seemed only right that, in a rose garden, a female Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) was present, probably to collect nectar to feed her young. 

     We wish her great success.