50 planten die de geschiedenis veranderd hebben

Fifty Things That Changed the Course of History

by Bill Laws

50 planten die de geschiedenis veranderd hebben is een prachtig uitgevoerd boek over de planten die de grootste invloed hebben gehad op de menselijke beschaving. Planten als rijst en tarwe, die hele bevolkingen voeden, komen aan bod, maar ook kruiden en specerijen die in hoog aanzien staan om hun medicinale eigenschappen. Elke beschrijving vormt een fascinerend weefsel van feiten uit de economische, politieke en industriële geschiedenis en biedt op die manier een bijzondere kijk op de invloedrijkste planten die de mens kent.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Nature, Plants, Gardening, Reference

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some odd choices, and some really odd groupings. The sweet pea really doesn't belong in this book, and it really shouldn't be paired with green peas. And I noticed some weak history: yes, Louis XVI was beheaded after the storming of the Bastille- four years later. And to say that Marie Antoinette "probably" didn't say, "Let them eat cake," is an incredible understatement, because she flat out factually didn't. If I noticed a couple of these in just a few pages, how many others are in this book that I just didn't notice?

[Joel · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the book was entitled "50 random facts related to plants that could be found in human history", I wouldn't be so critical, but I also may not have read the book.
Rather than talk to what the title was about, how different plants changed the course of human history, it decided to focus on these cute instances in which the plants showed up in history, but didn't really have that much effect on the wider human existence.
He talks about the pea, how a queen loved the pretty flowers, but failed to relay the fact that it was one of the few legumes that Europeans had before the arrival of beans from America. He skims over the importance of Sunflowers, but insists that the great gift of the sunflower was that it can be found in Van Gogh's paintings. Some of the plants he does OK on but then you read about how bamboo; where he skims over the fact that it dramatically changed and advanced Chinese civilization, however he then launches into 2 pages about bamboo brushes and how they are used in Japanese paintings.

[Am Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an avid gardener and someone with a keen interest in horticulture, the book's premise was interesting to me from the onset: learn about 50 plants that have made a major impact on humanity. Each of the plants listed has approximately 2-6 pages dedicated to it, and the book describes how the plants were first "discovered" and put to use, and how this usage has (or has not) evolved over the ages.

E.g. Rubber used to be an extremely important commodity, but since the invention of synthetic rubber, production of natural rubber has fallen greatly.

Plants mentioned range from staples like rice, wheat, barley, soybean and corn, to herbs and spices like cilantro, pepper, chilli, etc, to stuff that just tastes nice (e.g. wine grapes for wine, cacao for chocolate, etc) to ornamentals grown simply for their looks (e.g. tulips). And also plants with medicinal value and those that have addictive properties (e.g. cocaine from coca, opium from poppies, caffeine from coffee, etc).

If the plant has been selectively bred or "altered", this is mentioned. E.g. kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and more all originated from wild cabbage, and will revert to it if left for long enough in the wild. There is also a short mention of GM crops.

But I didn't like the entry on apples - the book implied that the modern day apples we eat are descended from crabapples. This is entirely not true. Wild apples are a species of their own and exist in their own right; the relation to crabapples was due to cross-pollination with them which resulted in the sharing of genetic material.

The book also failed to mention cinnamon, which I'm quite sure is a major spice.

On the whole I liked seeing which plants the book regarded as "history-changing", but the research done on each plant, and the way each plant is written about, could be much better.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

With 2-6 pages devoted to each plant, it doesn't really get into much depth, and some of the choices seem very odd. For instance there's an entry on the sweet pea because Princess Diana used them in her bouquet...and then it segues into the edible pea and Mendel's genetics work. Why not make the entry on the edible pea instead? Surely if any pea has changed the course of history it's that one, not the sweet pea. In general the information isn't anything you couldn't get in more depth from Wikipedia. And some of the entries sound ripped right from James Burke's 'Connections' series.

However, it is a gorgeous book, beautifully bound with lovely illustrations.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only other rating given to this book is 3 stars with no comment. Even if it resides exclusively in the bathroom it deserves better (the Uncle John's Bathroom Readers are consistently 4 stars).

Sure there is an amount of trivia included about each plant that will allow you to sound authoritative at the water cooler or cocktail party, but Bill Laws does a fine job of giving you, not only historical significance, but also ecological significance of each. Plants are classified as to whether their contributions have been edible, medicinal, commercial or practical. The book is well thought-out and nicely illustrated.
(borrowing from the book's own description)
Many of the plants are well known, such as rice, tea, cotton, rubber, wheat, sugarcane, tobacco, wine grapes and corn. However, there are also many whose stories are less known. These history-changing plants include:

* Agave, used to make sisal, poison arrows, bullets, tequila and surgical thread
* Pineapple, which influenced the construction of greenhouses and conservatories
* Hemp, used for hangman's rope, sustainable plastics, the Declaration of Independence and jeans
* Coconut, used for coir fiber, soap, margarine, cream, sterile IV drips and coagulants
* Eucalyptus, used in mouthwash, diuretics, vitamins, honey, underwear and fire-resistant uniforms
* Sweet pea, which Gregor Mendel used in his research on genetic heredity
* White mulberry, used to make silk
* English oak, used for fire-resistant structures, dyes, leather tanning, charcoal, casks and ships
* White willow, used in the manufacture of aspirin, hot-air balloon baskets and coffins

[Prince Mendax]

ja men det här var ju en typisk anna-delar-med-sig-av-onödig-kunskap-till-alla-i-sin-närhet-bok.
tyckte kanske att författaren svävade ut lite väl mycket ibland och landade någon helt annanstans än kring växten ifråga, men jaja.
översättningen lämnade också en del att önska :)

[Rocío Prieto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro pertenece a esa clase de obras que invitan a detenerse en las raíces culturales de lo vegetal, a pensar cómo un simple grano, un tallo o una flor han tejido el relato de nuestra especie. Es un viaje ameno, ilustrado y, a ratos, caprichoso por los vericuetos de la botánica y la civilización.

A la hora de hablar de cada una de esas especies vegetales que cambiaron el curso del mundo, combina el tono del narrador curioso con el del divulgador apasionado, lo que convierte el libro en una lectura muy accesible. Cada una de las cincuenta plantas —del trigo al cacao, del bambú al opio— recibe un breve ensayo de entre dos y seis páginas, donde el autor despliega anécdotas, contextos históricos y usos sorprendentes. No faltan los episodios emblemáticos: la fiebre del tulipán, el caucho y la revolución industrial, el café como motor intelectual de la Ilustración, o el algodón y su vínculo con la esclavitud. En ese sentido, el libro cumple bien su promesa de mostrar cómo la naturaleza y la historia humana son inseparables.

Sin embargo, hay momentos en los que el entusiasmo del autor roza la dispersión. Algunas selecciones son francamente desconcertantes —la inclusión del guisante de olor, por ejemplo, parece más un guiño sentimental que una elección con peso histórico— y ciertos pasajes revelan descuidos en la exactitud de los datos. Pequeñas imprecisiones cronológicas o interpretaciones demasiado libres debilitan la confianza del lector más atento. Por otro lado, hay entradas que se quedan en la anécdota estética —Van Gogh y sus girasoles, la piña como símbolo de estatus— cuando podrían haber explorado con mayor profundidad el impacto económico o ecológico de esas plantas.

Aun con estas irregularidades, el encanto visual del libro y su estructura fragmentaria juegan a su favor. Las ilustraciones, de estilo casi enciclopédico, dialogan con un texto que se lee como una conversación de sobremesa entre un naturalista y un cronista. Su tono ligero convierte incluso los temas más áridos en historias vivas. Puede que no sea una obra de referencia académica, pero sí una de esas lecturas que despiertan la curiosidad, que te empujan a investigar más allá de lo contado y a mirar de otro modo el jardín, el plato o la taza de café.

Laws no logra que cada planta cambie el curso de la historia, pero sí consigue que cada una cambie un poco la mirada del lector. Quien se deje llevar por sus páginas probablemente acabará saliendo al aire libre con ganas de reconocer en cada hoja una huella humana y en cada historia un brote verde que sigue creciendo entre las páginas del tiempo.

[Bxdrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

M’ha agradat repassar curiositats de la història a través de les plantes, sembla que el nostre món giri només gràcies a elles.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting compendium of gossipy information about fifty plants that the author found important. I’d quibble on the plant selections; for example, I’m not sure how the sweet pea is important when the author spent more time in that chapter on GREEN peas, but OK.

The chapters were very chatty, for the most part, and tended to be kind of light on actual historic info. My major frustration was that the chapters ended very abruptly in many cases, mostly w/o any good summation or even modern uses. The chapter on the tulip ended its history in the 1700’s I think.

Anyway, if you want a light intro to some plants and where they originated, this book could give you a start. Don’t read it for botanical informational purposes, though.

[gabrysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nie przeczytałam całej, bo nie wszystkie rośliny mnie interesowały. Nie znalazłam też do końca tego czego szukałam, bo w zasadzie jedyne co mnie interesuje (czego raczej nie było) to fitoterapia połączona z jakąś bardziej rozbudowaną etymologią nazw roślin, która przykładowo nawiązuje do ich działania albo tylko do ich pierwotnego, wyobrażonego działania..👽 Za to można tu znaleźć wiele ciekawostek historycznych związanych w jakiś sposób z daną rośliną, o których nie mam żadnej opinii, bo zwykle je pomijałam XD.
Ponieważ zdaję sobie sprawę, że moje oczekiwania są na prawdę z dupy, to nie będę się AŻ TAK czepiać. Myślę, że książka w swojej kategorii jest okej👍

[Cait S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent days and days and days on this and honestly, I'm exhausted. It's not bad or poorly written, in fact there are lots of interesting pieces. But it is d e n s e . I would read for hours and get maybe 20 pages. So unless you are VERY interested in the history of certain plants, you can probably find a better one out there.

[Eduardo Cesar Dias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Livro extremamente interessante e informativo. Pena que a tradução e revisão deixam muito a desejar.

[Laurence Brouard-Trudel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very meh

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Used it to help me study for my Plants course. Great pictures, historical facts.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Laws goes a different direction then I thought with his book here. In "Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History", the author emphasizes history and the side stories to go with it.
given the time period that I read this book, as the Covid pandemic was finally fading , inflation was surging, and Europe was diving into it's biggest war since WWII, I really could have used a much lighter read. However, Laws pulls no punches and reminds us of he lower side of human nature that keeps repeating through history.
It is simply amazing how many useful plants have been seized by ruthless people and used to dominate others through their greed. Examples: Tea, hemp, coca, cotton, tobacco, Opium Poppy, and Cacao.
Perhaps, I really am that naïve. As Thomas Jefferson said: "“Tho’ an old man, I am but a young gardener”

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't normally think of plants as changing the course of history, but they have. This book goes over fifty plants that have influenced human behavior, often in dark ways. Opium caused China's collapse, sugar cane set off the slavery trade out of Africa, tulips were responsible for an economic crash in Holland.

An interesting historical look at how plants have affected human behavior over time.

[Roland Matanzas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Not a lot of new ground is covered here for the average history fan. And the author goes out of his way to demonstrate his wokeness in paternalistic ways and it took me out of the book. For example he’s talking about bamboo in China and invents this conversation where a Chinese person lectures the West about all the things China invented. It’s jarring. He just seems really self consciously old and white.

[Berit Lundqvist · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looking at the sad remains of my latest kill, a rosmary plant, I realize I’m not a plant person. Maybe that’s why I can’t fully appreciate this book. It’s only partly interesting, very chatty, and a bit patronizing in that British colonial way that I dislike so much.

[Shirley Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating premise and beautiful illustrations. Overshadowed by the continuous blaming of Rapacious White Northern Europeans for destroying the Garden of Eden in which each such plant and its native beneficiaries were theretofore blissfully flourishing.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt like it was cobbled together from the internet.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept is much better than the execution. There is a lot more trivia than evidence that these 50 plants all had a significant impact on history. Eg, in the summary that starts each article, onion “assisted with the classification of the world’s plants and helped to create the stereotypical image of the Frenchman…” In my opinion, no plant contributed to classification – that was done by botanists, and the British stereotype of Frenchmen is a trivial contribution to history, and one that did not require onions. Similarly pineapple is credited with the origin of hothouses in Europe, but greenhouses would surely have become common when technology allowed, without demand for pineapples, which could easily be shipped from tropical plantations. Other questionable choices as plants that changed the course of history: those that some of us treasure, but have had slight impact on history: Cilantro: “What would Indian cookery be without …Cilantro”; Saffron – the world’s most expensive spice; Cardamom; Hops; Sweet Pea; Lavender; Crabapple (as opposed to Apple); etc. Like the crabapple, there are numerous choices that would have been better had a higher level been chosen: Oak vs English Oak, Rose vs Dog Rose, Orange vs Sweet Orange, Cotton vs Upland Cotton, Pea vs Sweet Pea, Willow vs White Willow, Wheat vs Common Wheat. In many cases the articles are actually about the broader group, so why use the more specific title in these cases.
Ferns are included because they are said to have given rise to coal, but coal first formed from clubmosses, so we didn’t need the ferns to get coal); Sunflower is a less important source of edible oil than rapeseed and oil palm - where are the chapters on them? – Van Gogh was not made famous by the sunflower.
The eurocentricity of the book is betrayed by the sidebar on Filipendula ulmaria in the Willow chapter. which the British call meadowsweet (yes the UK is in Europe despite what some Brexiteers would have you believe). In North America, meadowsweet refers to native Spirea shrubs.
In addition, and most seriously, while good-looking, this book contains too many misleading and incorrect statements. For example: Introduction para#2: “Plants may have paved the way for us, evolving …photosynthesis in response to some prehistoric climate catastrophe…” First, photosynthesis evolved in blue-green algae, a bacterium, not plants. Second, photosynthesis didn’t evolve in response to a climate catastrophe – the ability to photosynthesize is clearly advantageous in any environment in which there is sunlight and not unlimited food, so selection pressure would favour photosynthesis when a rudimentary form of it occurred in an ancient bacterium. In the next paragraph, the figure of 470 million years understates the history of plants by more than a factor of 2 – there is fossil evidence of green algae over a billion years ago.
The last sentence on page 79: ”eucalyptus may be used to aid rapid reforestation of [Haiti and Ethiopia]" – even though earlier on the same page the author recognizes the devastation that these plants have wrought on native vegetation when planted outside their native Australia – native plants should be used for reforestation instead.
P. 115 China consumes 266l of beer per capita annually - over 3 times as much as the USA? Actually China consumes 7 times less - about 40% as much beer as the US per capita, according to the WHO in 2014.
p. 119 “Seeds represent the most important development in the evolution of plants” – what about spores and vascular tissue that enabled plants to grow more than a few inches tall? or the original absorption of a cyanobacterium that enabled plants to photosynthesize?
p. 130 “Xi’an (Siam, now Thailand)” Actually Xi’an is a former capital of China that is 1800km north of the northernmost Thailand
p. 142 “Olympic Games held …[in] Athens” – actually in Olympia - 300km away
A lot of the trivia is entertaining, but can you believe what you read?

[Eva_812 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Een betere titel voor dit boek zou zijn: "50 planten die mensen verschrikkelijk uitgebuit hebben, en waar de auteur zoveel mogelijk random geschiedenisfeitjes aan wilt ophangen".
Op zich zijn de stukjes per plant wel interessant, maar het is onsamenhangend geschreven, sommige dingen kloppen gewoon niet en hij focust soms ook op best rare dingen. Het is me bijvoorbeeld niet helemaal duidelijk hoe de zonnebloem de geschiedenis veranderd heeft, maar we hebben wel uitgebreid stilgestaan bij de schilderijen van Van Gogh.
Dat de auteur haalt er de meest willekeurige feitjes bij, die werkelijk niks met de/een plant te maken hebben, is nogal storend. Een werkelijk bizar voorbeeld staat bij de plant Hondsroos. Het hoofdstuk begint zo: "De mensen van de nomadische Sakai-stam uit Maleisië mag dan moeite hebben om bepaalde aspecten van het moderne leven te begrijpen (een levensverzekering bijvoorbeeld, of naar je werk rijden in een stalen doos met stoelen), maar net als iedereen zijn ze gevoelig voor geuren. Van verse riviervis in Maleisië tot afhaalcurry in Melbourne, overal ter wereld wordt voedsel verkocht door de geur. Het reukvermogen van de mens redt het niet bij dat van een hond, de kat of de nachtvlinder Hyalophora cecropia, die een partner van 10km afstand kan ruiken, maar de taal der geuren is altijd universeel geweest: de vrouw die een drupje parfum aanbrengt op de binnenkant van haar pols alvorens zich in het nachtleven van New York te begeven, deed dat 2500 jaar geleden in het oude Perzië ook al.
Perzië, het hedendaagse Iran, was het land waar rozenolie voor het eerst werd gebruikt."

Wat is dit nou weer voor intro voor een roos?? Wild. Wie heeft dit geëdit? Is er überhaupt een editor bij betrokken geweest?? Echt pas bij die laatste zin wordt het relevant voor de plant in dit hoofdstuk, want die nomadische stam komt nooit meer ter sprake en voegde ook echt geen zak toe aan het hele verhaal. Je had daar werkelijk alles neer kunnen zetten als mislukte brug: "kinderen van 3 luisteren misschien niet graag naar hun ouders, maar ze ruiken wel als er friet is gehaald. Friet ruikt lekker, net als rozen" slaat net zo nergens op als die hele alinea.

En als je nu nog stellig durft te beweren dat Marie-Antoinnete "laat ze maar taart eten" zou hebben gezegd, dan begin ik me toch wel ernstig af te vragen hoeveel andere foutieve informatie het boek bevat, aangezien het vrij makkelijk op te zoeken is dat het hoogst onwaarschijnlijk is dat Marie-Antoinette dit gezegd heeft.

Uiteindelijk is dit vooral een boek vol zijsporen die mild gerelateerd zijn aan bepaalde planten. En heb je een interessant feitje geleerd? Dan zou ik m vooral even factchecken als ik jou was.

[Madhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History” is an interesting read. Bill Wells has chosen fifty plants that have effectively changed the way in which mankind has progressed.
The book is organized to explore one plant at a time, talking about its aspects such as its history, cultivation, unique characteristics and anecdotes, and how that plant played a large part in history. For example, it has information about the fern, as it documents its prehistoric origins, the conditions in which it lived, and its contribution to history - it is one of the main plants that contributed organic material to the millenia-long process of producing nonrenewable fuels.
I found the information interesting and compelling to read, as I have always been interested in plant life.
This book is very accessible in that it does not use elevated scientific terms to describe things - any concept that may seem foreign to someone without a science background is explained very thoroughly. For example, it explains Mendelian genetics with a historical background very well in the section about the sweet pea, in a way that is not didactic or overbearing, and is instead informational while still being entertaining. This quality of Law’s writing carries throughout the book.
I found this book to be interesting, but some particular sections are a little dry and uninteresting. However, the structure of this book seems to be strategic in that if an individual is not interested in a particular plant or its history and contributions, they can simply flip to the next plant without consequences.
Overall, I believe this book is a great read for those interested in the ways that botany has contributed to humankind’s progress. It is written in plain language without any scientific snobbishness, and is thus very friendly to those who are not from a scientific background. It is thorough, almost to the edge of boring, but manages to remain entertaining nonetheless. I would recommend this book to anyone who is even slightly curious about botany and how it has impacted the course of history, no matter what their scientific background is.

[Uuttu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tämä kirja on jäämässä kesken, katsotaan kuitenkin, kuinka pitkälle jatkan. Nyt sivulla 22.

"50 kasvia, jotka ovat kulkeneet mukana koko ihmiskunnan historian ajan ja joita tarkastellaan länsimaisesta näkökulmasta" lienee osuvampi nimi, mutta se ei varmaan olisi ollut kovin myyvä.

Tällä hetkellä minua häiritseviä asioita:
- Mikään kasvi ei ole varsinaisesti muuttanut historiaa: ne ovat olleet mukana läpi ihmiskunnan historian ja siinäpä se. Ainostaan ananas osuu jotensakin tähän kuvaan: sen kuvataan aiheuttaneen kasvihuoneiden valmistusinnon ja sitä kautta nopeuttanut muovien keksimisestä. Olin itse olettanut, että kirjassa olisi kerrottu pääasiassa tällaisia asioista historiasta: esim. kuinka banaaninviljely tuhosi Etelä-Amerikan poliitikan.

- Kasvit luokitellaan neljään luokkaan: ravintokasvi, lääkekasvi, kauppakasvi ja muu hyötykasvi. Agaave on vain muu kauppakasvi ja bambu taas ei ole ravintokasvi. Miksi?

- Ottaen huomioon, että kirja nojaa paljon historiaan, ei oikoluku tai faktojen tarkastus ole toiminut: jo tässä vaiheessa on paljon historiallisia faktoja, joihin on laitettu mukaan "ehkä", "todennäköisesti", "väitetysti" jne sekä paljon ihan huhuja tai uskomuksia hirveämmin niitä erottelematta. Kaikki asiat kuvataan länsimaisesta näkökulmasta ja esimerkiksi asteekkien tuhosta mainitaan, että kyse oli kuitenkin vaihtokaupasta, kun asteekit oppivat samalla esimerkiksi tislaamaan viinaa. Jota he tietty osasivat tehdä ennenkin, mutta käyttivät eri tekniikkaa ja eri kasveja.

Koetan vielä jonkun sivun tai yksittäisen kasvin esittelyt lukea, mutta tuskin tätä tulee kokonaan käytyä läpi. Luettu peruna ja tulppaani: peruna oli katsaus perunan historiaan ja lyhyesti jopa sen aiheuttamiin muutoksiin. Tulppaani taas jotenkin unohti käsitellä maailman ensimmäisen pörssiromahduksen.

[Marc Hutton · Rating 1 out of 5]

To begin with, despite the author’s insistence to the contrary, eating refined sugar in your diet does NOT adversely affect your ability to process high-fiber foods. there is absolutely no scientific evidence to support this opinion of the author. Speaking as a Chemist, enzymes just don’t work like that Bill. (claims made in both the chapter on Sugarcane and wheat) That is just the start of all of the factual errors in this book. Other whoppers include saying that Jean Nicot introduced tobacco into France in 1868. It wasn’t, that would mean that it was introduced after Waterloo. (page 137) the wheel was invented during the Bronze Age (page 159). It wasn’t, the wheel was introduced during the copper age. Olive trees where no where in what we now call Italy until around 370 BCE (page 143). Olive trees are NATIVE to Italy and it is believed to be where the originated. Besides, the oldest living tree is a 3,200 year old olive tree in Portugal. It just goes on and on with Factual errors on every page. Do not use this book as a reference, do not trust the narrative as being accurate. In addition, the author never really makes a case that over half the plants in the book changed the world. The chapters on lavender, Dog Rose, and Agave are perfect examples of this. To be completely honest with you, I am only giving this one star because I can’t give it zero. Do not waste your time or money on this book.

[Missy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a plant scientist, but there is enough suspect information in this that my Spidey senses are tingling. Poorly edited to the point where I would have to re-read sections to try to piece together the narrative. The focus of information presented is also weird. As others have noted, the sunflower chapter was more about Van Gogh than about sunflowers! And, when the information would get interesting, the narrative would leave you hanging. For example, the chapter about the rubber tree was interesting and my interest was piqued by mention of some disease that wiped out the large plantations. Turn the page wanting to learn more about this mysterious disease and... nothing! Instead of sharing the disease, how that discovery and fight against may have contributed to science, and some words to educate about the failure of large monoculture plantings, we get a new chapter on a different plant.

I bought this book from a world renowned botanical garden and I'm embarrassed they were selling this. The book is too terrible to share in our sharing library at work (I work at a prominent plant science center). It's really sad because the book is beautifully illustrated and the paperback edition is nicely bound. I guess the old adage is sometimes true: you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Do not recommend!

[Aimi Tedresalu]

Siiamaani vist kõige mõnusamalt kulgenud teaduskirjanduse väljakutse raamat. Ei tea, kas põhjus on selles, et tegemist ongi laiemale lugejaskonnale mõeldud teosega, kus taimede teadusliku käsitluse (ladinakeelsed nimetused, leviala, kasutusvaldkonnad) kõrval tuuakse nende kirjeldus meieni läbi ajaloosündmuste ja huumoriprisma. Seoseid tekib igasuguseid huvitavaid. Kes oleks võinud arvata, et herned tegelevad kohutavate amoraalsuste ja pordueluga, plastiuputuses on süüdi ananassid ja kapsal on oma osa Rooma impeeriumi lagunemises. Aga kes on vürtside kuningas ja kuninganna? Luubi all on nii meile tuntud köögiviljad (kartul, kapsas) ja teraviljad (riis, nisu, mais) kui ka vürtsid, populaarsete kuumade jookide taimed, lilled ja nii mõnedki taimed, mida ise ei oskakski oluliseks pidada, aga tuleb välja, et on neilgi aegade jooksul oma osa mängida. Infot on tegelikult päris palju ja tihedalt, nii et ega ühe hooga seda raamatut läbi ei loe. Minu kiiks on see, et teksti kõrval olevad väiksed kastikesed paarilauselise infoga killustasid lugemist, kuid üldmulje jäi kokkuvõttes väga mõnus. Kes soovib taimedest rohkem teada saada, siis see on üsna hea viis selleks.

[Kayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book could have been better - the premise was good, but it was very obvious that this was written from a British viewpoint.

The illustrations are beautiful, and some of the history was really interesting.

However, in the opium poppy entry, the author barely mentioned the poppy wars and their long-lasting consequences and never mentioned the British blockade on China and Hong Kong. Additionally, in the potato entry, he covered The Great Famine of Ireland and glossed over the British role in the famine - as there was more than enough food in Ireland to feed the Irish; the British overlords took everything else though.

These are just the pieces of history I already knew, and it makes me question the rest of the history included in the book. Additionally, I felt the book focused too much on short stories involving the plants, instead of actually covering how that plant changed history.

[Dyan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre. There were parts that were interesting, but some plants seemed like odd choices; more like "fillers", than truly important plants. There were some small historical inaccuracies/inconsistencies too, which I see other reviewers have picked up on. An example is the oft-quoted but factually incorrect "Let them eat cake!" (Marie Antoinette). If he wasn't able to do enough research to realize the falsity of that quote alone, then that doesn't give me much faith in the rest of his research/work.
Certain passages seemed entirely irrelevant to the plant in discussion, too. He goes into historical events surrounding the time/era that the plants were becoming "important", but said events don't have anything to do with the actual plant, so they're irrelevant to the purpose of the book? It just seemed a bit odd.
I also had an issue with the fact that he kept referring to First Nations Americans as "Indians". Really? In this day and age?

[Emma Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is really interesting and every page is really beautiful to look at! Unfortunately, it was REALLY hard to read.

It doesn’t really follow the title - there are references sometimes to how a plant affected history but some entries never make a strong case for their influence. It would be better explained as a brief summary of the history of 50 plants.

Probably my biggest problem with this book is the writing style. It reads like a report written by a middle schooler - each entry is a collection of facts that may or may not be connected together in any meaningful way. (For example, the entry on wheat includes a few different points where he instead starts talking about corn. Then, after tracing the history of wheat chronologically up to recent times, he concludes the entry by talking about wheat’s use in ancient Egypt.)