Customer Reviews

Borlaug; The Mild-Mannered Maverick Who Fed a Billion People

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Going outside the norm can lead to great results. "Borlaug: The Mild-Mannered Maverick Who Fed a Billion People" is the story of Norman Borlaug, a man who has revolutionized twentieth century agriculture so that it could feed a rapidly growing world through the twentieth century population explosion. Chronicling the man behind the miracles, author Noel Vietmeyer uses Borlaug's life to inspire readers with the story of a truly remarkable man. "Borlaug" is a fine and recommended biographical read.

Norm is the most amazing person I've ever met, and I have met quite a few of the rich and powerful. He is in a class of his own. This marvelous book explains why this is so. The author so artfully intersperses stories about Norm with socioeconomic history that for the first time I have proper context for Norm's astounding character development. This book has my unqualified recommendation for anyone interested in truly great human beings.

This is a biography of a relatively unknown but incredibly interesting American hero. It is an extraordinary and masterfully written treatise of how Borlaug survived hard times in America, including the Great Depression; it is about a man whose learned and subsequently highly developed philosophy of life and education drove him to success in a field of work that he did not choose initially. Millions of people, nay billions, would not have survived without Borlaug's work that coincidentally led to his winning a Nobel Prize. He had help from mentors (called "career savers" in the book) who are interesting unto themselves. Among the many stories told are those under each of the very interesting pictures that provide a glimpse at events and people significant to our country's history. While in the hands of a lesser writer, this history and story laden biography might otherwise produce glazed eyes. BUT, I can assure you won't want to put it down! It is the first of a three volume set. I can't wait for volumes 2 and 3! Thank you Dr. Vietmeyer for helping me to learn about this great American.

One guy who lived in our time is credited with the continued existence of a billion people. Maybe we should know something about him.

This is exactly the book (three books) that I was looking for on Borlaug! His history should be taught in all of our schools. A rugged individual, highly educated, Nobel Prize for doing something great...

Vietmeyer provides us with all kinds of context for Borlaug's early life in a style that sometimes nearly reaches Ranger Rick in its discussion of the basics and its presentation of period graphics. I found this very disconcerting at first, but as the details started to fill in- and with no ag history of my own- I found it quite entertaining.

If you like history, and the odd tidbit of interrelated persons and events, you will like Vietmeyer's presentation of Borlaug's life. I just started book 2.

Rick O'Rourke