Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Light Eaters summary
Zoë Schlanger
How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
18 mins
Table of Contents
The Light Eaters
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
Not so helpless after all
In 1985, wildlife nutritionist Wouter van Hoven was tasked with solving a murder. In the previous months, thousands of kudu in game ranches across the South African region of Transvaal had suddenly dropped dead. The kudu is a large African antelope known for its striking spiral horns and distinctive white body stripes. Now, their bodies littered the ground of every game ranch van Hoven was called to.
What had caused such a die-off of these majestic creatures? After weeks of collecting samples, van Hoven found two things that he thought might explain what happened. First, it had been a particularly dry winter, and stomach samples showed that the kudu had eaten mostly acacia leaves since the grass in the area was dry and dead. This in itself isn’t a problem. Acacia is part of a normal diet for the animals.
But these samples were different. The second thing he found was that the stomach samples had a lethal dose of tannins. When acacia are eaten, they begin to raise the tannins in their leaves to produce a bitter taste that deters the kudu from overeating.
But without any alternatives, the kudu continued to eat the leaves and the plants continued to raise their tannin levels. In fact, when the leaves were damaged, they released plumes of pheromones that alerted other trees in the area to start producing the tannins as well. This, van Hoven concluded, was a coordinated poisoning.
Plants may seem passive to us, but they possess sophisticated mechanisms to respond to threats. When faced with danger, plants can alter their physiology in ways that are both surprising and impressive.
Rick Karban is a biologist who started working with insects, but has become renowned for his work in demonstrating that plants truly can “eavesdrop” on distress signals from their neighbors. When a plant is attacked by herbivores, it releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Nearby plants detect these VOCs and preemptively bolster their own defenses, producing chemicals that deter herbivores. This form of communication is crucial for survival in environments where threats are unpredictable.
What's more is that these VOCs can be incredibly specific. The sage bushes that Karban works on are more responsive to chemical warnings to close genetic kin, and may tailor the signals they send out to benefit close relatives first. They have also been shown to switch to a more general broadcast when in higher threat situations, where the whole community might be at risk.
This makes sense, from an evolutionary point of view. It’s hard to be pollinated when you’re standing in a field alone. But more curiously, it reveals a dynamic, responsive, and highly adaptive form of life. Perhaps plants are far more attuned to their environment than previously thought, engaging in a silent but sophisticated battle for survival.
Want to see all full key ideas from The Light Eaters?
Key ideas in The Light Eaters
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The Light Eaters about?
The Light Eaters (2024) explores the astonishing capabilities of plants, examining how plants communicate, recognize kin, adapt their form, and respond to stimulus. By highlighting current research and debates in botany, it challenges our understanding of plants and their roles in the ecosystem, urging us to reconsider humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
The Light Eaters Review
The Light Eaters (2021) is an illuminating exploration of how our modern habits of consuming artificial light impact our health and environment. Here's why this book is a compelling read:
- Offers eye-opening insights into the hidden consequences of our society's dependence on artificial light, revealing the profound effects on our bodies and the planet.
- Explores the interconnectedness between human health, wildlife, and the environment, shedding light on the complex web of consequences stemming from our well-lit world.
- Challenges readers to rethink their relationship with light and inspires conscious change, fostering a deeper understanding of the impact of our daily habits on a global scale.
Who should read The Light Eaters?
- Curious people interested in biology, ecology, or questions on the nature of intelligence
- The eco-conscious who need a break from bad news
- Anyone obsessed with their house plants or garden
Categories with The Light Eaters
Book summaries like The Light Eaters
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
32 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
The Light Eaters FAQs
What is the main message of The Light Eaters?
The main message of The Light Eaters explores the consequences of human influence on the environment.
How long does it take to read The Light Eaters?
Reading time for The Light Eaters varies. The Blinkist summary can be read in a few minutes.
Is The Light Eaters a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Light Eaters is a thought-provoking read, shedding light on environmental issues and human impacts.
Who is the author of The Light Eaters?
The author of The Light Eaters is Zoë Schlanger.
What to read after The Light Eaters?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Light Eaters, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Purpose by Samuel T. Wilkinson
- Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
- The Power of Ownership by Justin Roethlingshoefer
- The Everything War by Dana Mattioli
- It's Not Hysteria by Karen Tang
- Saving Aziz by Chad Robichaux with David L. Thomas
- The Third Perspective by Africa Brooke
- Dialectic of Enlightenment by Max Horkheimer & Theodor W. Adorno
- Trippy by Ernesto Londoño
- Single, Dating, Engaged, Married by Ben Stuart