The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History
D**A
A surprisingly incredibly interesting and relevant topic that is well written!
A highly engaging read for those interested in biology/botany and history
P**I
So enjoyable to read!
I am not done reading this book. But it’s only because I don’t have enough time. I really enjoyed what I have read so far with more to learn in later pages. The author makes reading about seeds so interesting. I did buy the book to learn about seeds but I’m finding that this is so much more than a reference book.
O**R
Seeds
Book came in good condition. Seems like a very informative book.
B**N
Enjoyable Read!
This book does a good job talking about a lot of different seeds, including the almendro seed, which is given considerable attention. It talks about how seeds evolved into having different compounds as well as how people have utilized these chemicals for various applications. This book goes to more of a surface level for many different things rather than going in depth on one particular theme and is overall a well written, easy to read book. Great for people who like science and plants.
M**H
Well-written, easy to understand, good knowledge, great fun
I'm about half-way through this book, and it is wonderful. Interesting mix of science and personal anecdotes. I, too, have read "An Orchard Invisible," which is also informative. I am a botanical artist driven to learn about what I attempt to paint. Nuts and seeds are fascinating to look at and hold - so many shapes, sizes, colors, textures. Thor Hanson is good at describing what is going on inside those seeds, and some of the reasons why they vary. I've got some seed packets left over from last year and will try my hand at attempting to get them to sprout.I think I will read Thor's other books as well.
J**B
Who knew how important seeds are to human existence.
I enjoyed reading this book and I learned a lot of interesting facts. Seeds (including things we might call nuts or grain but really just variations on the seed idea) have had an immense impact on human civilization. Read this book and find out how.
S**S
Great read if you're a plant person
I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. I feel like the author wandered a bit--the central "theme" is pretty loose, as it's not really a Point A to Point B to Point C kind of book. It is, however, a fascinating exploration of a question that never would have occurred to me: why do seeds work?I'm not a non-fiction person, nor much of an outdoorswoman. However, by the time Hanson got around to discussing things like defense mechanisms and dispersal, my interest was piqued. In short: I am not the target audience for this book, but I do think if you're interested in gardening, or plants, or agriculture, you'd enjoy this a LOT.The chapter on coffee was definitively my favorite, and not just because I like the stuff. Hanson discusses the history of coffee as the beverage of choice in the Middle East, long before it became trendy for white folks to enjoy, and explains how it came to be grown in the Americas. The narrative doesnt' get too political, but I do, and I found it all rather thought provoking: coffee as a billion dollar industry, and even (in some senses) a kind of cultural appropriation. Oh, and caffeine is a natural insecticide.All in all, a good read, and one I might keep a digital copy of to reference back to now and again.
A**R
Miracle of baby seeds
Very well written. I love the way Thor Hanson writes. This is the second book of his that I have read. Feathers is equally an excellent book. It's as if he were in the room talking to you with an exuberance that shows his curiosity about a subject, striving to find answers, going to the experts to probe their knowledge. I never thought much about seeds before thinking they are just the means to produce another plant. This book shows both the simplicity and the complexity of life, really the hand of a loving God who brings both sustenance and delight to us. Mr Hanson writes about evolution, not God. This "baby in a box with it's lunch" is a fascinating read.
O**L
Interesting read for the botanically minded.
Great book. Good information.Written a bit like Feral by George Monbiot. Easy to digest if your a planty type person.Might be a bit hard to get into if your plant knowledge is zero.The information is presented in sort of little "stories" each chapter is like a little story adding to the whole.The hard back is pleasing on the eye.
V**O
Great if you don't like science much
This book address many topics surrounding the seed and its role in the diet and economy of the human societies. It is very pleasant too read because there is ultimately not so much technical content. This is actually why I do not like this book so,there is too little technical information. You have to read quite a few pages to learn anything about seeds that a general background would provide.
G**M
Great read/listen grab this book
Never thought I would love this book so much - what a wonderful informative entertaing read/listen The narration could not have be better
A**R
Five Stars
Enjoyed it
T**H
Heed the Seed!
This is a wonderful book and combines good writing with so many interesting facts that it's hard to pick a favourite. I enjoyed the image of dropping a desk repeatedly onto a seed and only succeeding in disrupting lectures nearby!A lot of research has gone into this book, and it has really opened my eyes. We take seeds for granted and yet they are so important in ways we hadn't even realised.I only bought this book because Thor Hansen also wrote "Feathers" which I enjoyed tremendously, but I wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, I can't wait for him to write about something else now, and very soon please, because I can read quicker than he can write and I want more!
Trustpilot
1 day ago
1 month ago