50 PLANTS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD (HB)

Plants that have changed landscapes, fomented wars and lain at the heart of slavery. Others have been the trigger for technological advances, expanded medical knowledge or simply made our lives more pleasant. They have provided paper and ink, chemicals that could kill or cure, vital sustenance and stimulants. Some, such as barley, have been staples from earliest times; others, such as oil palm, are relative newcomers. To this day, we remain dependent on plants for our food, our fuel and our medicines. In this book are 50 of their stories.