The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nut, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History — By Thor Hanson

"Who knew that seeds could be so thrilling and dangerous? Thor Hanson is a lively storyteller, a lyrical writer, and a quick wit. The Triumph of Seeds is more than an engrossing work of natural history. It's a compelling and highly entertaining journey, populated by scientists and historians, criminals and explorers, aviators and futurists. Following Hanson's global voyage is the best sort of armchair travel, because it is filled with wonder, poetry, and discovery." ― Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks "Hanson is jocular and entertaining in his dispensing of remarkable facts about these little vessels of life-to-be.... From high-tech, high-security seed banks bracing for climate change to the story of the gum extracted from guar seeds that is used in everything from ice cream to fracking, this upbeat and mind-expanding celebration of the might of seeds is popular science writing at its finest." ―Booklist, starred review "A de