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Most Delicious Poison review: A lively journey through nature's toxins

From caffeine to curare, evolutionary biologist Noah Whiteman explores plants' myriad toxins and the impact they have had on society, in his new book

By Tom Leslie

15 November 2023

F0A01R Young woman drinking coffee. African girl sitting at cafe having coffee and looking away.

Time for a coffee? The bitter taste of caffeine is meant to be a warning

Ammentorp Photography/Alamy

Most Delicious Poison
Noah Whiteman (Oneworld (UK); Little, Brown (US))

EVERY morning, millions of people rub their bleary eyes and stumble as quickly as they can towards the nearest source of coffee. The urge to get a caffeine hit is so overpowering, and the reward for it so great, that we often forget we are hankering for a fundamentally bitter chemical.

That bitter taste is meant to be unpleasant, a warning that we are consuming something…

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