Seeds: A Natural History

Seeds provide half of the calories consumed by humans today and helped grow human civilization. Just ten crops (rice, maize, wheat, potatoes, etc.) provide 75% of human energy needs. "Seeds: A Natural History" unearths the evolution of seeds from the time before dinosaurs to how they became our primary source of calories and protein today. Using vivid photos of seeds, which invite readers to appreciate their diversity of form and function, along with a text by an award winning science journalist and writer, "Seeds "harvests the importance of the nature and productivity of seeds. And to complete the narrative arc, Seeds" shows how modern scientific techniques of genetic profiling, seed banking, and plant breeding may be the answer to humanity s future. Seeds and humans have had a bountiful history and this book captures the scientific, artistic, and economic vitality of these incredible natural packages."