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What Have Plants Ever Done for Us?
Western Civilization in Fifty Plants
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Check link for latest rating. ( 59 ratings, 13 reviews)
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Format: Hardback
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See moreTaking us on a chronological journey, Stephen Harris identifies fifty plants that have been key to the development of the Western world, discussing trade, politics, medicine, travel and chemistry along the way.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
When did the British Government become the world's largest drugs pusher? What tree is frequently used to treat cancer? Which everyday condiment is the most widely traded spice on the planet?
Plants are an indispensable part of our everyday life. From the coffee bush and grass for cattle which give us milk for our cappuccinos to the rubber tree which produces tyres for our cars, our lives are inextricably linked to the world of plants.
Taking us on a chronological journey, Stephen Harris identifies fifty plants that have been key to the development of the Western world, discussing trade, politics, medicine, travel and chemistry along the way.
Plants 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 newcomers to Western industry. Moreover, with time, uses change: beets, which have been used variously as a treatment for leprosy, source of sugar and animal feed, are now showing potential as biofuels. What may the future hold for mandrake or woad?
We remain dependent on plants for our food, our fuel and our medicines. Their effects on our lives, as the stories in this wide-ranging and engaging book, What Have Plants Ever Done for Us?, demonstrate, continue to be profound, and often unpredictable.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
What Have Plants Ever Done for Us? by Stephen A. Harris is praised for highlighting the indispensable role that plant scientists play in our lives, despite being few in number in Britain. The book underscores the critical importance of their work, suggesting its continuous relevance and necessity in understanding the natural world.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781851244478
Publisher: Bodleian Library
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 20 November 2015
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bodleian Library
Illustration: 50 Illustrations, black and white
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 138.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 536g
Pages: 272
About the Author
Stephen Harris is Druce Curator of the Oxford University Herbaria and a University Research Lecturer.
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