Plants for People - Softcover

Anna Lewington

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0565010948 ISBN 13: 9780565010942

Publisher: The Natural History Museum, 1990

Synopsis

This fascinating book describes the countless and often surprising ways in which we use plants in everyday life. Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of photographs and drawings, most in full color, Plants for People documents the vital role of plant-derived material in industrial products, consumer goods, fashion, cosmetics, and many other common items. And it shows how the average person benefits from hundreds of plant products during the course of a typical day, often without even knowing it. However the relentless advance of industrialization, global population growth, and environmental mismanagement have caused the extinction of thousands of plant species, and many more are threatened. Thus, the awareness of our dependence on the plant kingdom has never been more vital. Here, the author traces the origin of modern products to their roots in areas as diverse as the Amazon rainforest and the lavender fields of France, and looks too at the ecologically sound uses native people make of plants, including techniques for creating shelter, clothing, food products, and herbal medicines. These are uses that hold immense potential for a modern world confronting the destructive impact of technology and waste. The author is a world traveller and ethnobotanist. Her book is immensely readable and informative. It will appeal to everyone--from high-school students to amateur botanists to general readers--interested in the amazing variety of the natural world and its boundless importance in everyday life.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

YA-- Twentieth-century technology has caused us to accept the use of synthetics so completely that we have forgotten the natural elements. This excellent, comprehensive book will help overcome this omission as it traces the use of plants in cosmetics, foods, buildings, furniture, medicine, transportation, and recreation. Easy to read and entertaining, it has practical, scientific information along with beautiful drawings and/or photographs of the plants. The numerous pictures are well explained and relate to the adjacent text. An eye-catching feature is that information on short topics is presented in boxes, enabling readers to learn about a specific subject quickly. The British authorship is evident from the spellings, but the writing is accessible. The content is not limited to Britain--examples come from virtually every continent. The detailed index gives the page references under both the common and scientific names. A competently done book that will fill a gap in many high school collections.
-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Natural History Museum
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0565010948
• ISBN 13: 9780565010942
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232