As we have moved to virtual briefings, I have increasingly been excerpting short video segments (with permission) as part of my Analyst Cam series.
I occasionally invite authors to present on their new books in this series. This time it is my former Gartner colleague and mentor, Erik Keller
In his book, available at Amazon, he shares his personal journey after he retired from his technology analyst career and became a master gardener and from there a horticultural therapist. He has helped over a thousand clients including cancer patients and juvenile delinquents with the restorative power of flora.
We cover a surprising amount of STEM topics – gene sequencing in plants, how drones and mapping tech have influenced gardening, Google Lens and gardening mobile apps. I am driving to SAP’s Sapphire event in Orlando this week, and will probably talk about spargel (white asparagus) season (which goes from April to June) with many of the German executives. Erik reminisces about his trips to their HQ in Walldorf and has a botanical angle on the delicacy.
We also discuss how much more information is available even to the amateur gardener nowadays. And how much publishing has changed since his last book, Technology Paradise Lost, he wrote in 2004.
Very inspirational and educational half an hour.
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