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. But the biggest mystery about the banana today is whether it will ...
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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. 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. Today's yellow banana, the Cavendish, is increasingly threatened by such a blight, and there's 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 world's most beloved fruit.
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Add this copy of Banana: the Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World to cart. $82.91, new condition, Sold by Just one more Chapter rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Miramar, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Tantor and Blackstone Publishi.
This is a really neat book - traces history and intrigue of something most all of us take for granted: That our grocery store will have fresh bananas for sale. I enjoyed reading it very much and I believe you will, too.
Banjoman
Mar 5, 2009
You need to read this!
The history of the banana "industry" offers a snapshot of the excesses and abuses by USA government and industry. Stories like this one need to be told and can provide citizens of this nation insight into why we we are reviled rather than praised for our efforts to "help" the disadvantaged in 3rd world countries.
