Seeds of Change: Five Plants That Transformed Mankind is a 1985 book by Henry Hobhouse which explains how the history of the world since Columbus linked America to Europe has been changed by five plants.[1] It describes how mankind's discovery, usage and trade of sugar, tea, cotton, the potato, and quinine have influenced history to make the modern world.

Seeds of Change
AuthorHenry Hobhouse
LanguageEnglish
SubjectHuman history, Plants
PublisherSidgwick & Jackson (1st edition), Papermac (2nd edition)
Publication date
1985 (1st edition), 1999 (2nd edition)
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePaperback
Pages381 pages (2nd edition, paperback)
ISBN0-333-73628-1 (2nd edition, paperback)
OCLC40753070

In the second edition of the book, Seeds of Change: Six Plants that Transformed Mankind, he adds the coca plant to the list. In 2004, he published a follow-up book Seeds of Wealth: Four Plants That Made Men Rich covering timber, wine, rubber, and tobacco.

Reception

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David E. Allen writing in Medical History described it as "a thoughtful, thought-provoking, extremely readable work"[2] It has been recommended reading and studied at universities[3][4][5] and has been reviewed by the Library Journal,[6] The American Historical Review,[7] and The Atlantic.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Henry Hobhouse, author - obituary". Daily Telegraph. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  2. ^ Allen, D. E. (October 1986). "Book Reviews". Medical History. 30 (4): 483. doi:10.1017/S0025727300046172. PMC 1139966.
  3. ^ Jorge M Vivanco; Jacqueline Chaparro. "Medicinal and Value-Added Uses of Plants: A Chemical, Biochemical and Ethnobotanical Perspective" (PDF). www.colostate.edu. Colorado State University. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  4. ^ Hallie Eakin; David Carr. "Geography 288: Food Security, Food Systems and Global Change" (PDF). www.ucsb.edu. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  5. ^ Dr Brian R Mandle. "Botany: BIOL 250, Spring Semester 2016 Optional Assignment". www.fhsu.edu. Fort Hays State University. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Seeds of Change (Book)". www.ebscohost.com. EBSCO. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Seeds of Change (Book Review)". www.ebscohost.com. EBSCO. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Seeds of Change (Book)". www.ebscohost.com. EBSCO. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
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