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Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 634.772
EAN: 9781594630385
ISBN: 1594630380
Label: Hudson Street Press
Manufacturer: Hudson Street Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: December 27, 2007
Publisher: Hudson Street Press
Studio: Hudson Street Press
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Editorial Review:
A gripping biological detective story that uncovers the myth, mystery, and endangered fate of the worlds most humble fruit To most people, a banana is a banana: a simple yellow fruit. Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. In others parts of the world, bananas are what keep millions of people alive. But for all its ubiquity, the banana is surprisingly mysterious; nobody knows how bananas evolved or exactly where they originated. Rich cultural lore surrounds the fruit: In ancient translations of the Bible, the apple consumed by Eve is actually a banana (it makes sense, doesnt it?). Entire Central American nations have been said to rise and fall over the banana. But the biggest mystery about the banana today is whether it will survive. A seedless fruit with a unique reproductive system, every banana is a genetic duplicate of the next, and therefore susceptible to the same blights. Todays yellow banana, the Cavendish, is increasingly threatened by such a blightand theres no cure in sight. Banana combines a pop-science journey around the globe, a fascinating tale of an iconic American business enterprise, and a look into the alternately tragic and hilarious banana subculture (one does exist)ultimately taking us to the high-tech labs where new bananas are literally being built in test tubes, in a race to save the worlds most beloved fruit.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Very informative
A bit America-centric for European readers but nonetheless great to have all this info in one place.
Buy fair trade organic every time.
Rating: - So much history with the Banana...
I was amazed by this book. It begins with an introduction to the Banana and explains there is even a reference to this fruit in the Bible. Describes history and the impact the Banana has had on the world. Everyone assumes that only Cotton, Gold, and Oil impacted the world and trade & consumerism. But this book details the "hidden" history about the yellow fruit. Concerns about the future of the Banana (due to Panama Disease) are discussed. I reccomend this book to anyone interested in history ... Read More
Rating: - The book that changed my perceptions
Upon my hubbie's recommendation I read your book: Banana, The fate of the fruit etc.
Brilliant! I never imagined that bananas had, and still have, so much influence on America's life.
I recommend the book to everybody and is going to become my favorite gift to give to friends.
Every time I go to the market I cannot look at produce in general (or even coffee, meat, cheese etc) without thinking about the global impact of that crop or its implications in social and political ... Read More
Rating: - The Geopolitical Ramifications of Fruit
We've all heard the term "Banana Republic," even before a store decided to use it as a name. The thing was, not too many people knew just where the whole concept of such a government came from. The banana IS one of the most popular fruits in the U.S., if not the world, but who knew governments rose and fell on it?
Dan Koeppel's "Banana" tell us all about the ramifications of this food crop, and provides further information about its creation, breeding, and perhaps doom. I heard Keppel ... Read More
Rating: - More than a fruit
This book is a combination of botanical, economic, and political history. Koeppel begins with an overview of banana life history, explaining the unique facts of banana botany, and how the fruit was spread through its historical range. He then turns to how the banana was popularized in the United States, and traces the history of the companies that made it into a household fruit far from its tropical home. He also discusses the economic and political impact those companies had on the Central American ... Read More
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