Book ID: CBB001551953

The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, and Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History (2015)

unapi

Hanson, Thor (Author)


Basic Books


Publication Date: 2015
Physical Details: xxv + 277 pp.; ill.; bibl.; index
Language: English

Presents a guide to seeds that explains their importance to nature and humanity, describing their role in such events as the Age of Discovery, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. What makes The Triumph of Seeds remarkable is not just that it is informative, humane, hilarious, and even moving, just as what makes seeds remarkable is not simply their fundamental importance to life. In both cases, it is their sheer vitality and the delight that we can take in their existence---the opportunity to experience, as Hanson puts it, “the simple joy of seeing something beautiful, doing what it is meant to do.” Spanning the globe from the Raccoon Shack---Hanson's backyard writing hideout-cum-laboratory---to the coffee shops of Seattle, from gardens and flower patches to the spice routes of Kerala, this is a book of knowledge, adventure, and wonder, spun by an award-winning writer with both the charm of a fireside story-teller and the hard-won expertise of a field biologist. A worthy heir to the grand tradition of Aldo Leopold and Bernd Heinrich, The Triumph of Seeds takes us on a fascinating scientific adventure through the wild and beautiful world of seeds. It is essential reading for anyone who loves to see a plant grow.

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Reviewed By

Review Matthew Holmes (2016) Review of "The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, and Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History". British Journal for the History of Science (pp. 147-148). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001551953/

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Authors & Contributors
Brady, Lisa M.
Silver, Timothy
Browning, Judkin
John C. Inscoe
Drake, Brian
Kenneth W. Noe
Concepts
Nature
Environment
Science and society
Environmentalism
Biology
Environmental history
Time Periods
19th century
18th century
17th century
16th century
15th century
Renaissance
Places
United States
Appalachian region (North America)
Texas (U.S.)
Mexico
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