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Remarkable Plants
Helen Bynum, William Bynum
£20.00
A glorious celebration of the beauty, diversity, importance and sheer wonder of plants, with exquisite illustrations from the collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
See InsideOverview
Plants are truly remarkable: even with all our modern technological prowess they still feed, clothe and shelter us, help transport us and cure us. Helen and William Bynum are expert guides to the rich histories, significance and uses of over 80 key species from around the world, exploring our relationship with them, both utilitarian and aesthetic, and their myriad benefits and cultural resonances.
In portraits that combine vivid cultural and historical narrative with a firm scientific basis – starting with the crops that were fundamental to the development of cultures and civilizations, and those that enliven our diet, such as saffron and chilli peppers – the authors reveal plants that have helped to create our material world, as well as those that are used medicinally or are revered for symbolic reasons, including the tulip, the rose and the lotus. For anyone interested in the natural world and the extraordinary diversity of flora around us, this elegantly illustrated book, published in association with the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, will be an inspiration and a delight.
Reviews
'This beautifully illustrated, insightful and well-pitched book will make the ideal gift for plant-obsessed readers'
The English Garden
'An accessible introduction to the field of economic botany … stands as a rewarding artefact in its own right, emanating the authors’ quintessentially human passion for plants and their uses'
Gardens Illustrated
'With 205 exquisite illustrations, this book is beautiful … From rice to rhubarb and aloe to indigo, these plants make life work. And this book is one you should buy'
The Field
'The book is blessed with the fine design and production values we expect from this publisher'
Daily Telegraph
Product Information
Book Details
Format: Hardback
Size: 22.2 x 16.8 cm
Extent: 240 pp
Illustrations: 205
Publication date: 6 July 2023
ISBN: 9780500026427
Contents List
Introduction
1. Transformers
2. Taste
3. Heal and Harm
4. Technology and Power
5. Cash Crops
6. Landscapes
7. Revered and Adored
8. Wonders of Nature
1. Transformers
2. Taste
3. Heal and Harm
4. Technology and Power
5. Cash Crops
6. Landscapes
7. Revered and Adored
8. Wonders of Nature
About the Author
William and Helen Bynum are historians of science and medicine and also have a particular interest in gardening and plants and their importance in human culture and society. They have written or edited numerous books, including Great Discoveries in Medicine and Botanical Sketches, both published by Thames & Hudson.
