Reviews (2)

The controversies over genetically altered foods continue
The controversies over genetically altered foods continue and this addresses many questions regarding the ethics of such food; from a history of altered food's rise around the world to related issues of world hunger, food sabotage, and political and health debates. A well-rounded survey of a host of issues relating to food safety.

Just what I needed
Up here in farm country, food is a big issue,so the ethics of GM Food hits home here.This book made my college term paper for me and got me an A. Has 4 different worldviews, but you know where Pence stands. ... Read more

Book Description

A major strength of the book is the wealth of information presented on management strategies, complete with do-it yourself instructions for site selection, soil preparation, seed rates and planting, turf establishment, and renovation. Time- and cost-saving techniques for effective mowing, thatch control, pest management, water conservation, water management , fertilizer use, stress management, and pest management are presented in a user-friendly manner—complete with helpful checklists, and step-by-step instructions. A vast amount of useful reference material will ensure the success of your maintenance program. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Turfgrass Maintenance Reduction Handbook: Sports, Lawns, and
Golf course superintendants and turfgrass managers all seem to concur that the major expense of any professional turf is not the initial cost of construction, but rather, the cost and commitment required for its maintenance.

Few textbooks specifically address this issue, but Dr. Brede's book does. He presents, in great detail, and with a view towards educating the reader, why the choice of a turfgrass is critical, how to make that choice, and how to maintain it with less-intensive management practices than may currently be in vogue.

Subsequent chapters develop strategies for reducing maintenance, based on the results of current research: use less fertilizer, use less water, and lighten mowing. These are presented after a step-by-step procedure for establishing/renovating a turf area, as well as a practical treatment on turf soils, discussing issues such as thatch, soil compaction, and the effects of salts. He also presents strategies for controlling insects/pests on turfgrasses, many of which employ changes in management practices rather than application of chemicals. Also, don't miss the appendix, which is an exhaustive list of unconventional turfgrasses.

Dr. Brede's advice is based on his own field experience, combined with his education and research in the turfgrass sciences, and may be some of the best-kept secrets in the turfgrass industry.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning a new construction or the reconstruction of a turf area-choose the correct turfgrass for your site, and maintain it with a less-intensive management program. You'll likely spend less money and have more time to enjoy using the turf than struggling with its maintenance ... Read more

Book Description

This introductory book explores important issues in agriculture and natural resources. It includes information on the importance of conserving and preserving our natural resources, and addresses hot topics such as solid waste disposal and wetland preservation. Also included is current information on career opportunities in agricultural and environmental issues. Case studies explore some of the more difficult issues in resource management and conservation. ... Read more

Book Description

Since its original publication in 1984, Peppers has become the complete and classic source for the history and dispersion, biology and taxonomy, cultivation, and medicinal, economic, and gastronomic uses of the domesticated capsicum. In this new edition, Jean Andrews updates each section with new material gathered over the last ten years. Particularly interesting are her descriptions of recent medicinal uses of peppers (including a recipe for pain-relieving capsaicin cream) and the inclusion of two additional cultivars, Datil and Scotch Bonnet.Like the first edition, this volume is illustrated with botanically accurate, yet aesthetically pleasing paintings that show the blossoms, buds, young peppers, and mature specimens of 34 cultivars in full color. Dr. Andrews also provides a recipe for the most typical dish in which each pepper is used, recipes that she herself has tested and served to grateful friends. With its up-to-the-minute, encyclopedic text and beautiful illustrations, Peppers remains a botanical natural history par excellence. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Peppers? Condiments?
Andrews is an agent of the dominant culture. She homogenizes chiles and attributes Christopher Columbus for discovering them. In fact, the book is dedicated to this age of exploration tyrant. What a joke! She gives a nice little backstory about why chiles are referred to as peppers and how chiles are the number one condiment in the world.
Wake up Andrews! Chile is not a condiment! It's a staple of various aboriginal cultures throughout the world: from Asia to the Americas. Andrews perpetuates the genocide of these cultures by degrading them to condiments! And this updated version of the book includes so-called new medicinal uses of chile. The aboriginal people of the world have been using chile for medicinal purposes for centuries upon centuries! So, what are we to do now? Attribute the medicinal discovery to Andrews, just as she attributed Columbus's "discovery"? Please. Orwell warned us that whoever controls the present now, controls the past. Therefore, the dominant culture can rewrite (continually) history as they see fit. Praising their alleged heroes for introducing "new" discoveries.

A Beautiful Book
First published in 1984, Peppers is one of the most beautiful books about any food plant we've ever seen. Author Jean Andrews is not only the artist behind 34 full color plates of the world's capsicums, she is also a thorough historian of food whose work has influenced many books about capsicums that followed hers. Peppers is to the capsicum family what Redcliffe Salaman's The History and Social Influence of the Potato is to solanum tuberosum, with the bonus of color illustrations. Andrews' book explores the origins of the plant, its travels beyond South America, its biological and economic story, its multiple varieties, its most recent high tech implications, and ends with several recipes, and a photographic glossary of botanical terms. Any student of food plants will find repeated value in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Presenting the most comprehensive all-in-one full-color tree guide for continental North America!This complete book includes the latest information on the cornerstones of tree management--selection, planting, establishment, fertilization--while giving practical details on over 1,000 species.More than 500 color photos make tree identification realistic and enable students to easily select the right tree for the right landscape.The first text to guide students through the tree selection process, Trees in Urban and Suburban Landscapes is the most complete reference on tree culture and management. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

correction
in my original review i stated this book did not have color pictures -- i was wrong about that, it does have small color pictures of each tree.

well worth the price
this is the most informative tree book i have found. not a picture coffee table book-- it has no color pictures, but excellent details on choosing plants and cultural needs. ... Read more

Book Description

Hardbound. Bamboos constitute one of a few select categories of plants which are taxonomically related, very rich in species and of vital economic and ecological importance. Since the early 20th century the accepted number of species of bamboos, world wide, has tripled. However, until now information was scattered through numerous, often not easily available publications.

The Bamboos of the World, is the first comprehensive (taxonomic as well as horticultural) reference work that provides basic information on bamboos world wide, whether they are wild or cultivated, well-known or rather unknown. The work, based on bamboo literature, facilitates access to further data by citation and a comprehensive bibliography. Among the main data included are botanical names with synonyms, and geographical distribution of genera and species, varieties with their distinctive characters, common bamboo names, plant introductions to the West, plant size and uses. ... Read more

Book Description

The tomato is the second most widely grown vegetable crop in the world and the number one vegetable grown in home gardens in the U.S. Rich in Vitamins A and C, tomato fruit contains the antioxidant lycopene. A recent long-term medical study indicates that individuals who regularly consume fresh tomatoes or processed tomato products are less likely to develop certain forms of cancer than those who do not. Tomato Plant Culture: In the Field, Greenhouse, and Home Garden provides comprehensive factual information about tomato plant culture and fruit production, beneficial to plant scientists and commercial field and greenhouse growers as well as the home gardener. Data compiled focuses on the more recent literature, including information about the cultural characteristics of the plant; fruit production and related quality factors; and environmental and nutritional requirements for both field- and greenhouse-grown plants. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent source of technical information !!!
This book is an excellent source of information to TECHNICALLY handle the crop, specially in the nutrition matters, because it gives you all the parameters you have to reach in the different stages in order to reach an optimal harvest. Also, it has specific detail information that you can not find easily elsewhere. Congratulations Benton!! ... Read more

Book Description

Big ideas made simple -- six books in an incredible new series that explains important scientific ideas more clearly than ever before.

A safe supply of healthy food is a necessity for all societies, but seems harder than ever to achieve. This book examines modern farming methods, problems such as BSE, and potential solutions -- from organic to genetically modified foods. This stimulating new series uses an innovative mix of graphics, artwork, and photographs to explain and illuminate the most important scientific topics of the day. Unique in popular science guides, Essential Science uses bright, full-color images to make traditionally "difficult" subjects more accessible. Each title focuses on a scientific or technological topic that is currently provoking debate and is likely to have a widespread impact on our lives. Lively, readable text from top science writers ensures all readers -- from 14+ schoolchildren to academics -- gain a full understanding of the facts and related issues. Under the direction of renowned science writer John Gribbin, expert authors describe, in lively, jargon-free text, the principles and discoveries behind each subject, summarize what is currently known, and predict future issues and trends. ... Read more

Book Description

Exploring the history and importance of corn worldwide, Arturo Warman traces its development from a New World food of poor and despised peoples into a commodity that plays a major role in the modern global economy.

The book, first published in Mexico in 1988, combines approaches from anthropology, social history, and political economy to tell the story of corn, a "botanical bastard" of unclear origins that cannot reseed itself and is instead dependent on agriculture for propagation. Beginning in the Americas, Warman depicts corn as colonizer. Disparaged by the conquistadors, this Native American staple was embraced by the destitute of the Old World. In time, corn spread across the globe as a prodigious food source for both humans and livestock. Warman also reveals corn's role in nourishing the African slave trade.

Through the history of one plant with enormous economic importance, Warman investigates large-scale social and economic processes, looking at the role of foodstuffs in the competition between nations and the perpetuation of inequalities between rich and poor states in the world market. Praising corn's almost unlimited potential for future use as an intensified source of starch, sugar, and alcohol, Warman also comments on some of the problems he foresees for large-scale, technology-dependent monocrop agriculture ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hartmann and Kester's Plant Propagation
This was one of my textbooks 15 years ago, and I have depended on it in various editions ever since. The information is very dependable and complete.

This book has lost its focus
I was looking forward to the new edition of this classic, but I have to say that I'm really disappointed. It's marketed as an undergraduate textbook in plant propagation (which is how I'm using it), but the content is more suited to students with a background including plant physiology and biochemistry, rather than just an introductory plant biology course, which is what my students have. I can understand the authors' desire to make this the definitive textbook on plant propagation, but including details on biochemistry and molecular biology most often obscures the important, basic points. For example, the whole-page figure (p. 17) on the stages of meiosis shows the stages of meiosis, but does not specify that the reduction division is the first division (the information is there, but you have to read closely to find it). Contrast that with the 5th edition, which states outright that the reduction division occurs first and skips details of anaphase I, etc. This may seem petty, but in my class, students got lost in the details and missed the major point of meiosis. Worse, when it comes to growth regulators, the students simply lost interest in wading through the details to get any information.

I think this edition would be improved by two things: first, skip the "lit review" style of the text and return to a simple narrative emphasizing the basic points of plant propagation. Second, move the details to a separate area of the book, either at the end of each chapter or as Part 2 of the book. For example, a short narrative section explaining each of the growth regulators might be followed by an "in depth" section which cites research relevant to growth regulators in plant propagation. Instructors who teach undergrads could assign reading based on the narrative sections, while instructors with more advanced classes (or students who are interested in learning more) could assign the more detailed sections as well. It's either that or create two books.

My students are simply not reading this book, which is a shame. My older edition is one of the most tattered books on my bookshelf because I reach for it so often. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

This comprehensive book introduces readers to both the art and science of ornamental horticulture.It includes equal coverage of such diverse topics as science, crop production, craftsmanship, and business management skills, and is appropriate for both hobbyists and professionals.Readers gain an appreciation for the value of the diverse segments of ornamental horticulture and, at the same time, develop their creativity.In addition, it offers a realistic view of the business skills required to be successful in ornamental horticulture. This unique book provides a well-rounded view of both the art and science of ornamental horticulture to ensure that readers have the creative skills as well as the business skills they need to succeed in this booming industry.ALSO AVAILABLE - INSTRUCTOR SUPPLEMENT: Instructor's Guide (ISBN# 0-7668-1418-1). Call Customer Support to Order. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ornamental Horticulture Science, Operations, and Management
This is a great book, I have it because it is used as a textbook for my Introduction to Horticulture class. It is easy to read and very informative for those just beginning to learn about this field. I enjoyed reading it so much that I read the entire thing cover to cover, even though the entire text was not required for our one semester class. I would recommend this book to anyone desiring to learn and enjoy the reading at the same time. ... Read more

Book Description

This is one book no turf manager should be without! Turfgrass Soil Fertility and Chemical Problems is the best single-source, practical management tool that will help you overcome every fertility management challenge you face!

Fertilization is perhaps the key component of a successful turfgrass management program and yet few books, seminars or academic programs approach this critical topic from a field-application perspective. Until now! Turfgrass Soil Fertility and Chemical Problems addresses how to establish a sound fertilization program in a problem-solving manner that not only presents detailed scientific principles, but also applies them to practical management. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wow Cacao
What a great book. Explains all the history and details of cacao. If you want to try some raw organic cacao for yourself check out www.naturalzing.com, Natural Zing.

Wow Cacao!

Very informative
This book is very aptly titled. It is exactly a natural history of the cocoa tree, a biography of a plant. I've never read a book quite like this before- -an entire book written about the detailed life cycle, evolution, and economic uses of a single plant. Although the book covers all aspects of the cocoa tree, it does emphasize the author's research on the pollinators of the cocoa tree. It was fascinating to learn how difficult it is to cultivate this rain forest plant commercially, and the science behind why it is difficult to do so. The book is written in an academic style with many citations to the published literature on the cocoa tree. The book also includes a listing of common names and scientific names for all plants and animals mentioned in the text. Despite the academic bent, the book is written for general audiences, and is not too technical. Anyone with a deep interest in the cultivation of cocoa will be interested in this book, as well as anyone with a general interest in the botany of the tropical rainforest.

Great reading
I found this to be a fascinating book...written by a man who really knows his subject. It has given me a greater understanding of chocolate..and made me appreciate this true gift of the rainforest. ... Read more