The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.23 (709 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B013DI2BOI |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 217 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-11-27 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life, supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. And from the fall of Rome to the Arab Spring, the fate of nations continues to hinge on the seeds of a Middle Eastern grass known as wheat. How many times has a child dropped the winged pip of a maple, marveling as it spirals its way down to the ground, or relished the way a gust of wind(or a stout breath) can send a dandelion's feathery flotilla skyward? Yet despite their importance, seeds are often seen as a commonplace, their extraordinary natural and human histories overlooked. In nature and in culture, seeds are fundamental - objects of beauty, evolutionary wonder, and simple fascination. We live in a world of seeds. Just as the search for nutmeg and the humble peppercorn drove the Age of Discovery, so did coffee beans help fuel the Enl
Franko said It is also a fount of information useful to help us thread our way through the risky. This is a book written by someone whose passion for their corner of the natural world is joyful and infectious. It is a pleasure to read. It is also a fount of information useful to help us thread our way through the risky future of genetically modified food crops even though the author specifically places that whole world outside of consideration for this book. I recommend this book, and if you have youthful family members showing interest in the natural world this book is an excellent doorway into a rewarding world.. Kim Willis said Reminding people of how vital plants and seeds are to them. I love both reading/learning about plants and working with them. This was a good look at seeds and the profound influences they have on human life. The writing was interesting with bits of humor and for someone like me anyway, kept me avidly reading. The science and history behind seeds and their use is fascinating. The tiniest criticism I have for this book is that the author sometimes wandered into personal tales that had little to do with seed function and history. I would also have enjoyed a few more examples of odd seeds or plant adaptions to distribute seeds. But I found the book enjoyable and well worth reading.. A good read. Evolution always has some surprises that are A good read. Evolution always has some surprises that are counter intuitive. Teasing out those facts in some seeds makes for very interesting reading and provides impetus for viewing life around you with a wider vision to understand why, how and where plants live.But the section on coffee making kind of stunned me and made me shake my head. Really? Brewing to a half degree and to seconds? Considering that amount of sun, rain, nutrients and other variables in the process of getting those coffee beans to your cup of java, I had a good laugh. Even a scientist is not above falling for hyperbole and marketing.