Seed to civilization;: The story of man's food (A Series of books in biology)

Eating is the second favorite activity of many people, and for some it is the first. This lively book recounts the intriguing story of the plants and animals that stand between humans and starvation. Charles Heiser, preeminent botanist, writes with great verve about questions of where, when, and how humankind’s food plants and animals were domesticated. In narrating his tale, the author traces the intricate patterns of food use and distribution that have developed from prehistoric times to the present.The bulk of the book examines basic food plants and animals: meats, cereals, legumes, sugar, starchy staples (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams), oils, and other plants used for beverages and spices. Heiser provides many captivating details, enhanced by some 100 photographs, about a range of topics from archaeology to ethnobotany.This new edition contains completely updated dietary information, additional background on the origins of maize in the light of new findings, a critique of the increasingly popular ”pseudocereals” such as Amaranthus, and a balanced appraisal of seed and gene banks. The book ends on a somber note with an even-handed assessment of our present and potential food supply, and includes recommendations for improving our cultivation and production of food sources. This book is must reading for anyone interested in the problem of feeding the world’s teeming millions over the next half century. Contents Preface to the 1990 Edition CHAPTER ONE. In the Beginning CHAPTER TWO. Seeds, Sex, and Sacrifice CHAPTER THREE. Eating to Live CHAPTER FOUR. Meat: The Luxury Food CHAPTER FIVE. Grasses: The Staff of Life CHAPTER SIX. Sugar CHAPTER SEVEN. Legumes: The Meat of the Poor CHAPTER EIGHT. The Starchy Staples CHAPTER NINE. Coconut: The Tree of Life CHAPTER TEN. Oils: Sunflower and Cotton CHAPTER ELEVEN. To Complete the Meal CHAPTER TWELVE. Multiplier of the Harvest CHAPTER THIRTEEN. Let Them Eat Cake? Bibliography. Index Bibliography Index The Origin Of Agriculture -- Seeds, Sex, And Sacrifice -- We Are What We Eat -- Meat: The Luxury Food -- Grasses: The Staff Of Life -- Poor Man's Meat: The Legumes -- The Starchy Staples -- Man's Most Useful Tree: The Coconut -- Other Plants For Food, Beverage, And Spice -- Evolution And Breeding Of Man's Domesticates -- Let Them Eat Cake? Charles B. Heiser, Jr. Bibliography: P. [228]-236. Octavo, PP.243, Man And His Relationship To Food