The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth — 4.3 Stars
- Oct 15
- 3 min read
09/23/2025
“Plants give us the chance to see the system in which we live.” (p. 289) — Zoë Schlanger in The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
The title of this book captivated readers with the idea that plants consume light for energy and that examples of their “intelligence” are all around us. “Nature is chaos in motion,” the author wrote early in the book. When we view our gardens, the plants around us, the way weather affects our plants, and how insects interact with plants, we witness this chaos and have the opportunity to see how it is all intertwined. And when we look closer, observe more, and take note of the curious ways plants display intelligence, we can be amazed by their abilities. We are still at the beginning of understanding plants, and the author’s research into the topic was phenomenal.
Readers were challenged by the content in this book. Perhaps plants don’t see, smell, taste, feel, hear, and even “think” exactly as human beings do those things, there is evidence that they exhibit cognition. If we can be more cognizant of the plants around us, contemplate how much we don’t know or understand about plants, recognize that science changes over time, and acknowledge the ways plants sense that might not mirror the human ways, we can witness some truly amazing things in the plant kingdom. What we’ve known about human, plant, and animal life can be a barrier because of expectations about what plants can or cannot do. Science can get in the way of itself sometimes.
Readers also noted many questions that can shape our work as Master Gardener volunteers. What if we took more notice of the plants that grow well together to achieve a joint purpose (think yellow goldenrod growing near purple aster to attract more pollinators with their complementary colors)? What if we thanked plants as we harvest or prune or deadheaded? How do we stay open-minded? How do we interpret our existence as humans? What if we practice awareness that the way we as humans experience things is different from the way other living things experience the world? How can we use the ideas in our work with community members? How can we help young people understand plant life and practice observation skills?
Reader Poll
Enjoyable - 4.4 out of 5 stars
Useful/Educational - 3.9 out of 5 stars
Recommended - 4.4 out of 5 stars
Reader Comments
“It’s a terrific book. I have already recommended it to several friends and relatives.”
“A fascinating book that has changed how I respond to plants.”
“I appreciated that it exposed me to a lot of science-based new information.”
“This book challenged how I think about plants. I will treat them with more respect, knowing now that they are ‘conscious’ of their environment and have agency to meet their needs.”
“I enjoyed her exploration of what is at edges of science and thoughts about plant science. Good to get a look at the edges of thoughts and ideas and helps ‘grow’ my curiosity.”
“I loved hearing about plant research that I otherwise hadn’t known about, and how this book challenged me to see the world from the perspective of plants rather than humans.”
“A difficult read with lots of science and scientific processes discussed, but so interesting and mind-expanding.”
“The book introduced me to so many studies that challenged what I thought I knew about plants. I definitely view plants and their abilities differently.”
“Well written and in-depth research with rigorous references to a new perspective of plant life. A lot of material and ideas to think about while I am tending to my garden or walking in nature.”
Next Book Club Discussion
Next Book Club Discussion - November 25, 2025
The selection for November 2025 is The Story of More; How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go From Here by Hope Jahren.
