The Botany of Desire

What is the author's style in The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan?

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The book is presented from a first-person, intimate perspective. The author frequently reports first-hand experience and opinion, commonly using construction such as "I think I understand Huxley's reducing valve of consciousness" (p. 169). The text is, therefore, remarkably personal and intimate. This first-person presence is carried to its logical conclusion in Chapter 4, where the author presents a chronologically dated series of paragraphs that read almost like a diary—in the entries, the author describes the process of planting, cultivating, harvesting and eating potatoes from his personal garden. The perspective used is engaging, accessible and enjoyable—in many ways, the most enjoyable aspect of the text.