Taking the Potted Beast was an absolute delight! Molly Williams is a lovely author who teaches you how to be a good plant keeper. This was such a wonderful audiobook and I will definitely be purchasing a hard copy!

I have to say wholeheartedly that this is the most comprehensive houseplant history I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved hearing about how things rose in popularity and how houseplants started moving indoors. The included guide to caring for houseplants is also EXCELLENT and helped me with caring for a few of my more finnicky plants. Her guide to pests is also really great and gives some fantastic advice on how to approach them. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solidly good book and a solidly meh audiobook. Lots of mispronounced words (and not just the scientific ones! Things like CoNvent Gardens instead of Covent Gardens. Where was the QC proofer?) and awkward delivery. The organization also felt awkward, with the acks arriving at about 60% and then all the backmatter. Super weird and I kept wondering if there were files missing or there was something wrong with my app. The producer definitely dropped the ball on this production. The book, though? I look forward to getting a copy in print to keep for reference and to enjoy what I'm sure are great illustrations I missed out on.

I love plants, science, and history. So, in theory, this book should tick all the boxes for me, right? Wrong. I know the history of plant cultivation quite well, so for the most part the book felt boring. However, for someone who doesn't have a nose for the past, this part might be really interesting.

About a quarter of the book is about hints and tips regarding choosing the right plant for you and caring. Again - it´s all quite basic, so again those who do have a bit of knowledge will probably skip this part.
And finally, don´t go for an audiobook. This book DEMANDS by default pictures! Latin names of your lovely plants aren't common knowledge and what´s called eggplant here, there will be called aubergine! Remember that.

I saw the cover and couldn't pass it up! I will definitely be getting a physical copy because the preview images show awesome illustrations. The audiobook was read by the author and was a fun and easy listen. I guess my only real complaint is that the book is clearly supposed to have visual elements so sometimes I wanted to be able to look at the page that lists all the pests or suggested plants instead of just hearing them all listed. But that is only a few parts and the vast majority of the book is very enjoyable to listen to.

As far as the content, it's full of great facts and history that will shine new light on the plants in your home. The information is well researched and presented in a fun manor. The back of the book is full of resources for further research, care and keeping instructions, tips on picking the best plant for your abilities, and lots more. I already have plans to gift this book to several people.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book. I learned a lot about the history of houseplants and the author includes care instructions as well for many common houseplants. The pest section fell short however. I felt she glossed over how difficult it is to rid your plant(s) of thrips. Showering your plant and following with an insecticide will not do it. Thrips lay their eggs inside the plant and can return months later when the environment is ideal again. A long acting systemic is the only thing that seems to work. I've personally seen the craziness of the past couple years as houseplant prices have risen to absurd levels. Thankfully, prices seem to be coming down to more reasonable ranges for most plants. A little patience will save the seeker loads of cash. Overall, this was a great book for a houseplant enthusiast.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Audio, Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

"Taming the Potted Beast" by Molly Williams was an incredibly enjoyable listen. I did not know what to expect going into this book, but as a plant lover, I was fascinated by everything Williams had to share.

This book covers everything! From the history of houseplants as far back as the ancient world, to how to select and care for houseplants today, and the dark underbelly of the plant-selling community - there is something for everybody to gain from reading "Taming the Potted Beast."

If you fancy yourself a plant collector, whether as a hobby or on a larger scale, this book is a must read.

If you like houseplants and history look no further than Molly Williams’ audiobook of Taming the Potted Beast.

It is a quick easy listen that I was able to binge while doing house work and, of course, watering my plants.

Williams’ writing and narration are amusing and factual with lots of quality tips on caring for house plants. I adored hearing about how house plant culture has evolved through time. I thought the section on the pandemic’s impact was particularly fascinating.

I am very tempted to buy the hard copy of this one because the art promises to be amazing.

Thank you Andrews McMeel Audio and NetGalley for a trial of this delightful audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review!

Publication Sep 12, 2022

An entrancing storyline and One ot the best novel i have read so far.. The character interactions .. The world building is so good!!.. I wish i could get a second book.. But i really recommend reading this..

(4/5) This microhistory of the houseplant was so interesting! I thought the pace was good and it didn't spend too much or too little time on any specific topic. At the end of each chapter, there were different tips, tricks, and suggestions for your own houseplants that I appreciated. I think this book, while an overview, also did a good job of not just focusing on the Eurocentric history of houseplants. And if you're interested in any of the topics, or felt that you wanted to learn more, the author provides resources at the end of the book for further research.

This was amazing. To be honest, I know nothing of plants and do not have a green thumb for it but this gave me so much information about them. I liked that the author takes the reader through the history of plants and gave a tremendous amount of detail about them as well. I didn't come across any slow spots and I finished it in one day because I could not stop listening to it. In my opinion, this is was an amazing read and I feel like all plant lovers would enjoy this.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook copy which I very much enjoyed.