{"product_id":"the-orchid-thief-9780449003718b","title":"The Orchid Thief","description":"Deep in the swampy heart of Florida lurks an eclectic group of aristocrats, enthusiasts and smugglers who have one strange passion in common: they collect orchids.  John Laroche is one of these people, a repulsive yet mesmerizing man who had a wild plan to steal some of the rarest orchids he could find and clone them, thus being able to sell them to ardent collectors for a tidy sum.  Journalist Susan Orlean followed Laroche on his quest, unearthing the history of orchid collecting and plant crimes in Florida.  After spending time with Laroche's partners, a tribe of Seminole Indians, the author wrote up her experiences in the bizarre and absorbing The Orchid Thief.  284 pages.","brand":"Ballantine Books","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42824377532496,"sku":"9780449003718B","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780449003718-l.jpg?v=1785896328","url":"https:\/\/bookoutlet.com\/products\/the-orchid-thief-9780449003718b","provider":"Book Outlet","version":"1.0","type":"link"}