Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding
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Review
"Kingsbury's account should be required reading for students preparing for a future as a plant breeder, geneticist, or molecular biologist. Fortunately, that requirement should prove unnecessary - the book is engaging at many levels, and I expect many scientists and lay readers to pick it up on their own accord." (Science) "This engaging history of the genetic milestones and individuals that have shaped the field helps to fill a long-standing gap." (Choice) "Apart from the amazing factual content, [Hybrid] is also a tale of human endeavour that will fascinate all those who love a good story, and one that I know I shall want to return to time and again." (English Gardener) "The scope of this well-researched book is stunning; it is apparent that the work was a labor of love. Kingsbury is thorough, and each chapter is a rewarding feast of narrative and information.... Hybrid is a masterful work by an admirably ambitious author." (American Gardener) "Shoppers who shun genetically modified foods in favor of 'natural' fruits and veggies may be in for a surprise. Horticulturalist Kingsbury's lively history documents the history of human meddling with plant genes since the dawn of agriculture." (Discover)"
Product Description
Disheartened by the shrink-wrapped, Styrofoam-packed state of contemporary supermarket fruits and vegetables, many shoppers hark back to a more innocent time, to visions of succulent red tomatoes plucked straight from the vine, gleaming orange carrots pulled from loamy brown soil, swirling heads of green lettuce basking in the sun. With "Hybrid", Noel Kingsbury reveals that even those imaginary perfect foods are themselves far from anything that could properly be called natural; rather, they represent the end of a millennia-long history of selective breeding and hybridization. Drawing on historical and scientific accounts, as well as a rich trove of anecdotes, Kingsbury shows how scientists, amateur breeders, and countless anonymous farmers and gardeners slowly caused the evolutionary pressures of nature to be supplanted by those of human needs.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A detailed overview of several centuries of plant breeding, pitched at the intelligent but non-specialist reader who wants to understand the history of plant developement, especially since the laws of genetics started to be understood and, later, genetic manipulation became an option. It's well written, but you may have to go back over a page or two to be sure you understand it, or you may have trouble with the next chapter. I read it a chapter at a time, and started again when I'd finished.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
A very enjoyable, easy read which presents a very even handed review of plant breeding all over the world. It presents just enough detail to satisfy the initiated without goimg over the top and sending the casual reader to sleep.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A good book that was badly needed to give us a history of plant breeding that was not entirely American centred. But a great opportunity was missed by scanty references only to one of the greatest British plant breeding institutions, working just before the rediscovery of Mendel, Gartons Limited. Never mind, that is waiting for somebody else to take up.
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