Around the World in 80 Plants

Product Description An inspirational and beautifully illustrated book that tells the stories of 80 plants from around the globe.In his follow-up to the bestselling Around the World in 80 Trees, Jonathan Drori takes another trip across the globe, bringing to life the science of plants by revealing how their worlds are intricately entwined with our own history, culture and folklore. From the seemingly familiar tomato and dandelion to the eerie mandrake and Spanish 'moss' of Louisiana, each of these stories is full of surprises. Some have a troubling past, while others have ignited human creativity or enabled whole civilizations to flourish. With a colourful cast of characters all brought to life by illustrator Lucille Clerc, this is a botanical journey of beauty and brilliance.Praise for Around the World in 80 Trees"Beautiful to behold and to read" - THE SUNDAY TIMES"An arboreal odyssey" - NATURE"One of the most quietly beautiful books of the year" - DAILY MAIL"Jonathan Drori's deep-seated love of nature is contagious in this tree-by-tree journey across countries and continents. A book to take your time over" - WIRED"A brilliant blend of science, history, culture and folklore, this interesting and engaging book explores the relationship between people and trees as it circumnavigates the globe.The quietly passionate writing is informative, interesting and quite delightful. The hardback version, which I've got, is one of the best-produced books I've read in years: the formatting is crisp and inviting, the paper is heavy and of high quality, and almost every page includes colour drawings by artist Lucille Clerc that are simply breathtaking. Together, these features make this book a joy to touch, to hold and to read." - FORBES Review This charming and beautifully illustrated book takes readers on a voyage of discovery, exploring the many ingenious and surprising uses for plants in modern science and throughout history ― Kew magazine Who knew that the milky sap from dandelions is similar to that of rubber trees, so much so that, in the 1930s, 260 square miles of Eastern Europe were dedicated to growing Russian dandelions successfully to produce rubber until the end of the Second World War? Or did you know that Cook pine trees tilt towards the equator? These are only two fascinating facts from a book packed with similar gems -- Tiffany Daneff ― Country Life A fun and fascinating read, combining science, culture, botany and travel writing ― Flower Arranger With beautiful illustrations from Lucille Clerc, this captivating book traverses the globe via plants: nettles in England, mangoes in India and tulips in the Netherlands -- Ciara Dossett ― Daily Mail A trustee of the Eden Project, his knowledge is encyclopaedic, but it is the combination of science and storytelling that makes his book stand out... With Drori's evocative prose and Lucille Clerc's exquisite illustrations, this is a book to treasure -- Juanita Coulson ― The Lady AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLANTS by Jonathan Drori is a brilliant and - thanks to Lucille Clerc - a beautiful book. It's an excellent companion to the same author's AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TREES. Everybody who has the slightest interest in plants - and people - and wonders why we need to conserve botanical biodiversity should read this book -- Nigel Chaffey ― Botany.one The book is lively, entertaining and educational and the author's personal comments and witty asides, often made me laugh out loud. It is a credit to his skill and dedication that every fact-filled sentence is rich in information about each chosen plant, be it ethnobotanical, economic, folklore, myth, history, religion, culinary or etymology - not a word is wasted... Lucille Clerc's astonishingly beautiful, vibrantly coloured illustrations are an absolute delight, summing up the key points about each plant perfectly - you will find humour in these too... It would make a fabulous gift, yet contains enough facts to be of benefit to students