The roots of civilisation
Subtitle: plants that changed the world
By: John Newton
Publisher: Pier 9
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Millers Point, NSW
Language: eng
Number of pages: 271
ISBN-13: 9781741962420
Subjects: Plants and civilization
Description: "They feed us, shelter us, clothe us, cure us, clean the air that we breathe... This beautifully produced book looks at the plants that most of us take for granted, but which have changed the world, for better and for worse. The story of these plants is also the story of human survival and ingenuity (the invention of agriculture); the greed of men and their rulers, and the founding of trade routes and empires (think of opium and spices); advances in science and medicine; of new frontiers such as genetic modification and plants grown by NASA in outer space. The roots of civilisation looks not only at the the better known world-changers like opium, tobacco, cotton and the orchid, but also at the humbler flora that have quietly but profoundly shaped human civilisation. Chapters are divided into areas ranging from fibre plants; foods, herbs and spices; flowers; medicinal; poisonous; psychotropic; and, shelter."--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes index.

Bibliography: p. 262-264.