Audiobooks by Michael Pollan

A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the best-selling author of How to Change Your Mind, a pioneering search for consciousness in the brain and beyond A World Appears is the story of the quest to solve the greatest mystery in nature: consciousness. How does it feel to be you with your own personal feelings, thoughts and experiences? Every one of us is intimately familiar with consciousness, but no one knows how – or why – it came to be that three pounds of grey matter can generate a subjective point of view. The early 1990s marked the birth of a new science of consciousness, based on the assumption that the phenomenon could be explained in terms of brain activity, but that effort is faltering, and wilder ideas, such as panpsychism, are now getting a hearing. Indeed, there is now reason to doubt that ‘objective science’ as we have known it since Galileo has the right tools to plumb first-person experience. A World Appears takes Michael Pollan from the laboratories where scientists are searching for the neural correlates of consciousness to encounters with philosophers and novelists and Buddhist monks, whom he finds have just as much to teach us about consciousness, if not more. A story that begins in a brain lab in Seattle ends, of all places, in a cave in the mountains of New Mexico, where the author discovers that explaining consciousness may be less urgent than learning to practice it in our everyday lives. © Michael Pollan 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Michael Pollan (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - El dilema del omnívoro: En busca de la comida perfecta

"En este revolucionario libro, Michael Pollan, uno de los escritores más brillantes, originales y elocuentes de Estados Unidos, aborda la aparentemente sencilla pregunta de qué deberíamos comer, ofreciéndonos unas respuestas que tienen profundas implicaciones políticas, económicas, psicológicas e incluso morales para todos nosotros. ¿Qué cenaremos hoy? Nos hemos confrontado a esta pregunta desde que el hombre descubrió el fuego, pero para Michael Pollan la manera en que la abordamos hoy en día podría llegar a determinar nuestra supervivencia en cuanto a especie. El hecho de que seamos omnívoros y podamos ingerir todo tipo de alimentos hace que nuestro acto de decidir qué queremos comer se vuelva un dilema, sobre todo ante la abundancia de productos que nos ofrece el desconcertante y traicionero mercado alimenticio. Cuando escogemos nuestro tipo de alimentación, no solamente entra en juego la salud propia o la de nuestros hijos, sino la de todo el medioambiente. Escrito de manera excelente y profusamente argumentado, El dilema del omnívoro promete cambiar nuestra percepción sobre las políticas alimenticias y el placer de la comida."

Michael Pollan (Author), Sebastián Rosas (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Botany of Desire Young Readers Edition: Our Surprising Relationship with Plants

"By the bestselling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, this is Michael Pollan's ingenious companion book about the surprising and close relationship between people and plants. In this entertaining young readers edition of the environmental studies classic, Michael Pollan demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a reciprocal relationship. He links four fundamental human desires-sweetness, beauty, energy, and control-with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, coffee, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind's most basic yearnings. And just as we've benefited from these plants, we have also helped them to thrive. The Botany of Desire is perfect for STEM-focused young readers who want to learn more about: - human history, biology, and environmentalism - climate change and its impact on our relationship with plants - gardening and the human-plant relationship"

Michael Pollan (Author), Sean Patrick Hopkins (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Tu mente bajo los efectos de las plantas

"Un libro provocador que cambiará la percepción que tenemos de las drogas, las plantas psicoactivas y todo los tabúes que las rodean. «Maravilloso. Derrumba las diferencias entre legal e ilegal, médico y recreativo, exótico y cotidiano, apelando al principio que une a todo ello: las afinidades entre la bioquímica vegetal y la mente humana». The New York Review of Books Usamos las plantas a diario para alterar nuestra conciencia. Nos relajamos con lavanda o valeriana y nos activamos con cafeína, sin jamás pensar en ello como una adicción. Entonces ¿por qué otras sustancias de origen vegetal, como la psilocibina o la mescalina, son ilegales? ¿Según qué el criterio se ensalzan los beneficios del café y en cambio plantar amapolas es delito en algunos lugares? Michael Pollan investiga tres drogas de origen vegetal, el opio, la cafeína y la mescalina, para mostrar la arbitrariedad de nuestro juicio respecto a estas sustancias, profundamente condicionado por el estigma social. El autor revisa el papel de las plantas psicoactivas en distintas épocas y culturas, a la vez que experimenta con sus efectos. El objetivo es comprender por qué el ser humano hace todo lo posible para alterar su conciencia y, al tiempo, limita este deseo universal con leyes y condena social. Esta obra, combinación de historia, divulgación científica, memorias e incluso periodismo gonzo, ofrece una mirada desprejuiciada y atenta a las distintas variables que han determinado la condena o la legalización. Y da cuenta de la genuina curiosidad del ser humano a la hora de relacionarse con la naturaleza y alcanzar niveles distintos de percepción de nuestro entorno. La crítica ha dicho: «Un estudio concienzudo. A medida que las políticas antidrogas se vuelvan menos punitivas, deberíamos reflexionar en mayor profundidad sobre las sustancias de las que hemos llegado a depender». The New Yorker «Una lectura maravillosa y cautivadora que te dejará pensando mucho después de acabarla. Leerlo es como tomar un psicodélico». The Washington Post «Una narración soberbia. Plantea magistralmente una serie de grandes preguntas sobre drogas, plantas y personas que cambiarán nuestra manera de pensar». The New York Times Book Review «Fascinante. Con profundidad histórica, impacto político y exuberancia narrativa, es un llamamiento a repensar la relación de la sociedad con las plantas psicoactivas». The Boston Globe «La curiosidad insaciable de Pollan sus temas es un don que le ha valido un best seller tras otro. Una combinación fascinante de historia, crónica contemporánea y potente autorreflexión con las plantas como hilo conductor». San Francisco Chronicle «Pollan es un maestro en desarmar la ciencia más compleja para crear una historia atractiva y desafiar las creencias sociales más arraigadas. Aquí descifra nuestras ideas sobre lo que son las drogas y por qué las buscamos». Time"

Michael Pollan (Author), Sebastián Rosas (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Cómo cambiar tu mente: Lo que la nueva ciencia de la psicodelia nos enseña sobre la conc

"Una brillante y valiente investigación de Michael Pollan, autor de cinco best sellers de The New York Times, sobre la revolución médica y científica en torno a las drogas psicodélicas, y la fascinante historia de sus propias experiencias psicodélicas que le cambiaron la vida. Cuando Michael Pollan se propuso investigar por qué el LSD y la psilocibina (el componente activo de las setas alucinógenas) proporcionan un enorme alivio a personas que padecen condiciones de difícil tratamiento como el trastorno por estrés postraumático, la depresión o la adicción, no tenía la intención de escribir lo que es sin lugar a dudas su libro más personal. Pero al descubrir cómo estas notables sustancias mejoran la vida no solo de pacientes con problemas de salud mental sino también de personas que simplemente se enfrentan a los altibajos de la vida cotidiana, decidió explorar la cartografía de la mente tanto en primera como en tercera persona. Así comenzó una singular aventura que lo llevaría a la experimentación de la conciencia alterada, a la profunda inmersión en la neurociencia más pionera y al contacto con una prodigiosa comunidad subterránea de expertos psicodélicos. En esta ejemplar investigación periodística, Pollan revisa archivos históricos y documentos científicos para separar la verdad de los mitos, la propaganda y el pánico moral alrededor de estas drogas que se ha ido acumulando desde los años sesenta, cuando un puñado de personajes rebeldes catalizaron una poderosa corriente hacia lo que entonces era un prometedor campo de investigación. Sugerente, polémico y deslumbrante, una mezcla única de ciencia, memoria, historia y medicina, este libro es el resultado de un viaje a una nueva, emocionante e inesperada frontera de la percepción, de nuestra comprensión de la mente, del yo y de nuestro lugar en el mundo. El verdadero objeto de este «diario de a bordo» mental no son solo las drogas psicodélicas, sino el enigma en torno a la conciencia humana y a cómo deberíamos actuar cuando buscamos encontrar sentido a nuestras vidas en un mundo que nos regala al mismo tiempo momentos de placer y de dolor. Reseñas: «La profunda crónica de Pollan iluminará a aquellos que piensan en las drogas psicodélicas como una broma sobre la generación de Woodstock y animará a aquellos que las ven como un potencial antídoto para nuestras mentes obstinadamente estrechas [...] Atractiva e informativa.» The Boston Globe «Un viaje alucinante que vale la pena emprender, te abre los ojos.» Kirkus «Pollan te mantiene enganchado al libro [...] con los ojos atentos y bien abiertos.» The New York Times «Conocido por sus escritos sobre plantas y alimentos, Michael Pollan [...] llevatodasu curiosidad y escepticismo hacia un tematotalmente diferente [...] Cómo cambiar tu mente actualiza y sintetiza maravillosamente la ciencia de los psicodélicos, con un toque personal.» Science"

Michael Pollan (Author), Sebastián Rosas (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

"The book that helped make Michael Pollan, the New York Times bestselling author of Cooked and The Omnivore's Dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in America In 1637, one Dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in Amsterdam. Three and a half centuries later, Amsterdam is once again the mecca for people who care passionately about one particular plant-though this time the obsessions revolves around the intoxicating effects of marijuana rather than the visual beauty of the tulip. How could flowers, of all things, become such objects of desire that they can drive men to financial ruin? In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart of the intimately reciprocal relationship between people and plants. In telling the stories of four familiar plant species that are deeply woven into the fabric of our lives, Pollan illustrates how they evolved to satisfy humankinds's most basic yearnings-and by doing so made themselves indispensable. For, just as we've benefited from these plants, the plants, in the grand co-evolutionary scheme that Pollan evokes so brilliantly, have done well by us. The sweetness of apples, for example, induced the early Americans to spread the species, giving the tree a whole new continent in which to blossom. So who is really domesticating whom? Weaving fascinating anecdotes and accessible science into gorgeous prose, Pollan takes us on an absorbing journey that will change the way we think about our place in nature."

Michael Pollan (Author), Michael Pollan (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Saber comer: 64 reglas básicas para aprender a comer bien

"El libro definitivo para comer bien y de forma inteligente. Frente a las dietas, sentido común. Comer no tiene que ser tan complicado. En esta época de dietas milagrosas demasiado elaboradas y consejos contradictorios sobre salud y nutrición, Saber comer nos ofrece 64 reglas básicas para nuestra alimentación diaria. Escrito con claridad, precisión, y una agudeza que lo ha llevado a convertirse en un bestseller, este manual indispensable bebe de una gran variedad de tradiciones y nos muestra cómo las distintas culturas han alcanzado a través de los siglos una sabiduría común sobre la comida. Saber comer es un manual perfecto para gente con sentido común y para todo aquel que alguna vez se haya preguntado «¿qué, cuándo, y cómo debería comer?». Reseñas: «En las cuatro décadas que llevo leyendo y escribiendo sobre nutrición nunca había encontrado nada tan inteligente, sensato y fácil como estas 64 reglas.» Jane Brody, The New York Times «Destinada a convertirse en una guía de referencia para comer bien, sin necesidad de leer largos manuales sobre nutrición.» Los Angeles Times «Un manual práctico que reemplazará todos los libros de dieta en tu estantería.» The New York Times"

Michael Pollan (Author), Sebastián Rosas (Narrator)

Audiobook

This Is Your Mind On Plants: Opium—Caffeine—Mescaline

"Brought to you by Penguin. Of all the many things humans rely on plants for, surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate, calm, or completely alter the qualities of our mental experience. In This Is Your Mind On Plants, Michael Pollan explores three very different drugs - opium, caffeine and mescaline - and throws the fundamental strangeness of our thinking about them into sharp relief. Exploring and participating in the cultures that have grown up around these drugs, while consuming (or in the case of caffeine, trying not to consume) them, Pollan reckons with the powerful human attraction to psychoactive plants, and the equally powerful taboos. In a unique blend of history, science, memoir and reportage, Pollan shines a fresh light on a subject that is all too often treated reductively. In doing so, he proves that there is much more to say about these plants than simply debating their regulation, for when we take them into our bodies and let them change our minds, we are engaging with nature in one of the most profound ways we can. This ground-breaking and singular book holds up a mirror to our fundamental human needs and aspirations, the operations of our minds and our entanglement with the natural world. © Michael Pollan 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Michael Pollan (Author), Michael Pollan (Narrator)

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Food Rules: An Eater's Manual

"#1 New York Times Bestseller 'A useful and funny purse-sized manual that could easily replace all the diet books on your bookshelf.' -Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times A definitive compendium of food wisdom Eating doesn't have to be so complicated. In this age of ever-more elaborate diets and conflicting health advice, Food Rules brings welcome simplicity to our daily decisions about food. Written with clarity, concision, and wit that has become bestselling author Michael Pollan's trademark, this indispensable handbook lays out a set of straightforward, memorable rules for eating wisely, one per page, accompanied by a concise explanation. It's an easy-to-use guide that draws from a variety of traditions, suggesting how different cultures through the ages have arrived at the same enduring wisdom about food. Whether at the supermarket or an all-you-can-eat buffet, this is the perfect guide for anyone who ever wondered, "What should I eat?" 'In the more than four decades that I have been reading and writing about the findings of nutritional science, I have come across nothing more intelligent, sensible and simple to follow than the 64 principles outlined in a slender, easy-to-digest new book called Food Rules: An Eater's Manual, by Michael Pollan.' -Jane Brody, The New York Times 'It doesn't get much easier than this. Each page has a simple rule, sometimes with a short explanation, sometimes without, that promotes Pollan's back-to-the-basics-of-food (and-food-enjoyment) philosophy.' -The Los Angeles Times"

Michael Pollan (Author), Michael Pollan (Narrator)

Audiobook

How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics

"Brought to you by Penguin. How to Change Your Mind is a report from what could very well be the future of human consciousness, written and read by Michael Pollan. When LSD was first discovered in the 1940s, it seemed to researchers, scientists and doctors as if the world might be on the cusp of psychological revolution. It promised to shed light on the deep mysteries of consciousness, as well as offer relief to addicts and the mentally ill. But in the 1960s, with the vicious backlash against the counter-culture, all further research was banned. In recent years, however, work has quietly begun again on the amazing potential of LSD, psilocybin and DMT. Could these drugs in fact improve the lives of many people? Diving deep into this extraordinary world and putting himself forward as a guinea-pig, Michael Pollan has written and read a remarkable history of psychedelics and a compelling portrait of the new generation of scientists fascinated by the implications of these drugs. 'His approach is steeped in honesty and self-awareness. His cause is just, his thinking is clear, and his writing is compelling' - Washington Post 'An easy-going humane generosity ... mischievous self-regard ... as if Henry David Thoreau had had an encounter with Woody Allen and never been quite the same since' - Simon Schama © Michael Pollen 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2018"

Michael Pollan (Author), Michael Pollan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers Edition

"The New York Times bestseller that's changing America's diet is now perfect for younger readers "What's for dinner?" seemed like a simple question-until journalist and supermarket detective Michael Pollan delved behind the scenes. From fast food and big organic to small farms and old-fashioned hunting and gathering, this young readers' adaptation of Pollan's famous food-chain exploration encourages kids to consider the personal and global health implications of their food choices. In a smart, compelling format with updated facts, plenty of photos, graphs, and visuals, as well as a new afterword, The Omnivore's Dilemma serves up a bold message to the generation that needs it most: It's time to take charge of our national eating habits-and it starts with you. **Bonus PDF included with charts, diagrams, and photos."

Michael Pollan (Author), MacLeod Andrews (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation

"Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Food Rules, and How to Change Your Mind, explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen in Cooked. Cooked is now a Netflix docuseries based on the book that focuses on the four kinds of 'transformations' that occur in cooking. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and starring Michael Pollan, Cooked teases out the links between science, culture and the flavors we love. In Cooked, Pollan discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements-fire, water, air, and earth-to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer. Each section of Cooked tracks Pollan's effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements. A North Carolina barbecue pit master tutors him in the primal magic of fire; a Chez Panisse-trained cook schools him in the art of braising; a celebrated baker teaches him how air transforms grain and water into a fragrant loaf of bread; and finally, several mad-genius "fermentos" (a tribe that includes brewers, cheese makers, and all kinds of picklers) reveal how fungi and bacteria can perform the most amazing alchemies of all. The reader learns alongside Pollan, but the lessons move beyond the practical to become an investigation of how cooking involves us in a web of social and ecological relationships. Cooking, above all, connects us. The effects of not cooking are similarly far reaching. Relying upon corporations to process our food means we consume large quantities of fat, sugar, and salt; disrupt an essential link to the natural world; and weaken our relationships with family and friends. In fact, Cooked argues, taking back control of cooking may be the single most important step anyone can take to help make the American food system healthier and more sustainable. Reclaiming cooking as an act of enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life."

Michael Pollan (Author), Michael Pollan (Narrator)

Audiobook