In response to, "How has the tullip impacted mankind?"

The tulip is a flower that people see often in gardens and in landscape. It is a pretty, yet simple, flower. Many people tend to not think about the tulip intensely. Michael Pollan states, “It isn’t automatically obvious that the tulip belongs in this august company of flowers, probably because, in its modern incarnation, the tulip is such a simple, one-one dimensional flower, and its rich history of being so much more than that has largely been lost,” (Pollan, 84). Michael Pollan brings awareness of the power the tulip possess to the reader's attention. He also gives the rich history of the tulip. Tulips have affected humankind economically, through landscaping, bringing enjoyment, and through their artwork. He explains that tulips use their beauty to attract people to them. These people then plant them in their gardens, allowing the tulips to travel around the world. He tells the story of how the Dutch prized the tulip highly; people were willing to pay amounts exceeding the price of homes. This impact caused many humans to be deprived of money. Michael Pollan states, “The second noteworthy point of the story is that it puts a theft at the source of Holland’s long, illustrious, and ignominious relationship with the tulip,” (Pollan, 84). This has affected the economy due to the fact people were paying outrageous amounts for possibility of receiving a tulip. He then states that when he was younger he would plant tulips for his parents. This is an example of how the tulip has affected people’s landscapes. Then he says that people would draw tulips, or flowers in general. For those that do not have the money for leisurely artwork, the tulip brings enjoyment to people through their beauty. These are a few ways the tulip has impacted humankind.