Overview

Have you ever wondered why we eat wheat, rice, potatoes and cassava? Why we routinely domesticate foodstuffs with the power to kill us, or why we chose almonds over acorns? Answering all these questions and more in a readable and friendly style, this book takes you on a journey through our history with crop plants. Arranged into recurrent themes in plant domestication, this book documents the history and biology of over 50 crops, including cereals, spices, legumes, fruits and cash crops such as chocolate, tobacco and rubber. In The Nature of Crops John Warren reveals: -Why the Egyptians worshipped onions; -Why red-flowering runner beans provide fewer beans than white-flowering; -The inherent dangers of being a pineapple worker; and -Why a bird will always beat you in a chilli pepper eating competition!

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9781780645094

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Reviews

""Written by a natural story-teller, this book is a 'must' - a very readable book, packed with interesting and useful information, exploring and clearly explaining the cool science behind the development of the plants that sustain us."" Dr Tim Pettitt, Eden Project ""This book is a journey of discovery - Astute, funny and eye-opening, it is essential reading for serious plant geeks and curious foodies alike."" James Wong, Ethno-botanist and Broadcaster ""John Warren tells astonishing stories in this book - often funny, sometimes alarming, and always riveting."" Dr Peter Wakelin, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales ""This well-researched and engagingly written book takes us on a fascinating journey... It provides new insights into the process of crop domestication and reveals much about why we eat the plants that we do."" Dr Colin Clubbe, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew ""This book is a fun and informative romp through the history of our favourite crops but it has an important message - is our diet sustainable? It's high time to look at the history of our current crops and to consider our food supply for the future."" Dr Natasha de Vere, National Botanic Garden of Wales

Written by a natural story-teller, this book is a 'must' - a very readable book, packed with interesting and useful information, exploring and clearly explaining the cool science behind the development of the plants that sustain us. Dr Tim Pettitt, Eden Project This book is a journey of discovery - Astute, funny and eye-opening, it is essential reading for serious plant geeks and curious foodies alike. James Wong, Ethno-botanist and Broadcaster John Warren tells astonishing stories in this book - often funny, sometimes alarming, and always riveting. Dr Peter Wakelin, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales This well-researched and engagingly written book takes us on a fascinating journey... It provides new insights into the process of crop domestication and reveals much about why we eat the plants that we do. Dr Colin Clubbe, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew This book is a fun and informative romp through the history of our favourite crops but it has an important message - is our diet sustainable? It's high time to look at the history of our current crops and to consider our food supply for the future. Dr Natasha de Vere, National Botanic Garden of Wales

Author Information

John Warren is Director of Education at Aberystwyth University. He has an academic interest in the sex-life of plants and a recreational interest in all things edible. Formally a cocoa breeder, he worked on the world chocolate gene bank at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. Whilst there he published scientific papers on the unusual sexual practices of Caribbean cocoa and also pried into the private lives of several less familiar tropical crops including the star-fruit and tree cucumber. Prior to working in the Caribbean he spent two years literally sowing wild oats at the University of Liverpool. He has made regular appearances on BBC Scotland's Beechgrove Potting Shed.

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