Dank: the Quest for the Very Best Marijuana: A Breeder's Tale [Paperback]

Subcool (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

Based on the author's 20 years of passionate selection and experience, Dank: The Very Best Marijuana is the story of one breeder's quest for pot perfection. Author Subcool, both a talented photographer and a well-known breeding whiz, describes each step of his journey toward ganja heaven: raising each strain, mixing and matching traits, and ultimately choosing the offspring that will advance to become the newest pinnacle in pot — the newest dank. Revealing his thought processes as he assesses the traits that will go forward, Subcool provides an intimate portrait of each variety's personality. Beautifully lit photos and full-color spreads accompany these complete descriptions of over 35 varieties, with detailed profiles of each strain's aroma, taste, and high, as well as how it grows, and what it looks like. Useful appendices feature full genetic trees of each strain discussed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Quick American Archives (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932551890
• ISBN-13: 978-0932551894
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely informative and beautifully presented, November 8, 2008

By 

David Jones (The Wild West Midlands, England, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dank: the Quest for the Very Best Marijuana: A Breeder's Tale (Paperback)

This book, for me, is a new departure in the field of cannabis publishing. There are plenty of sub-genres in this field, but most of the literature tends to be 'How to grow great pot' guide books (for example Soma, Mel Frank, Greg Green etc) of varying qualities. There are wonderful travelogue and ethnobotanical photo studies (probably the best being the Lawrence Cherniak 'Great Books of Cannabis' series), but this book is something different.

Subcool is a breeder whose reputation has been growing quickly over the last few years and whose strains are notable for their fruity flavours and potency. As is apparent from this book, he is also a very talented plant photographer who is extremely enthusiastic about what he does.

The book itself is a lavishly-presented, glossy coffee table-type production that will let you gain fascinating insights into what Subcool looks for in a breeding plant, and it amounts to a historical record of his strains and his development as a breeder.

If you are looking for a straightforward 'how to do it' book, look elsewhere, as another reviewer here has suggested. This book has more to do with the work of Ferran Adria, or Heston Blumenthal (two of the world's greatest chefs) in their books on the evolution of their recipes, full of musings and useful details.

Do I have any quibbles about this book? Just one - for a book that is so well-produced (the layout is excellent, the photos exceptional, the content so interesting), it is let down by the spelling and grammatical errors that appear all too frequently, and I can only conclude that the copy editor/proof reader should be shot. This might seem to be nit-picking, but given the skill and effort that has gone into producing this book, it seems a shame to have not paid sufficient attention to this aspect although it does not detract from the value of the book.

I think this book will appeal to people who have an interest in cannabis, cannabis breeding and photography, whatever their motivation. Sure, you might see it as a series of glossy advertisements for his seeds, but suspend your cynicism and enjoy the art.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book from a amazing breeder, December 4, 2009

By 

P. Taylor (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dank: the Quest for the Very Best Marijuana: A Breeder's Tale (Paperback)

This book has some of the most gorgeous plant pictures you've ever seen. Subcool has been growing for a long time and his breeding is second to none. His genetics blow the standard dutch seeds out of the water! If you want information of West Coast strains and you love gorgeous bud photo's, then this book is for you. Lot's of information about the man and his work. I own it and ever single person that has opened loved it. No, it's not growing instructions, but there's more to this "life style" than that. Some of us like to look at killer buds.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dank, December 2, 2008

By 

AEIOUY (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dank: the Quest for the Very Best Marijuana: A Breeder's Tale (Paperback)

This makes an excellent coffee table book, but also a good read to curl up on the couch to and smoke a joint with.

What makes the narrative so intriguing however, is that author and breeder SubCool mentions outright that he is not a drinker nor drug user, he simply smokes marijuana because it enhances his life.

This book is not only great for its aesthetic and informative values, but also as a book on the admiration for the botany of the plant while adding an air of legitimacy to the marijuana activist movement.