The Seeds of Wealth
The four "plants" of the subtitle are timber, wine, rubber, and tobacco. Timber, Hobhouse points out, was important in the history of England and the 13 North American colonies. The colonies supplied timber to the mother country, and it was American timber that aided the development of fishing and whaling, railroads, and wooden houses in new cities such as Chicago. Hobhouse discusses the wealth-creating potential of wine from before the time of Periclean Athens, through the Roman and medieval eras, up to the present. Rubber, the author reminds, has generated wealth for many nations and has largely created three new ones: Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Tobacco, a plant with a negative contemporary image, had historically profound effects on Anglo-American relations. The cigarette was invented in the 1840s and the cigarette-making machine developed in the 1870s. Hobhouse posits that the greatest beneficiaries in most countries "have been, since about 1920, the tax gatherers." Written in the form of essays, this book lucidly illustrates how these four plants created new industries and changed the course of history.George CohenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.