Green Inheritance: The World Wildlife Fund Book of Plants [Paperback]

Anthony Huxley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0941423700 | ISBN-13: 978-0941423700 | Publication Date: February 1992

Clarifies questions about the human dependence on plants, proves that plants are the foundation of existence, and makes a plea to stop people from destroying the earth's plant-based life support systems, such as the rainforest. Original.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this timely, comprehensive volume British botanist Huxley documents the remarkable contributions made by plants to world culture, the strains placed on these "green resources" today and the price we are paying for the loss of plant species and sustainable natural environments. Green Inheritance was first published in 1984 as part of a joint effort to focus attention on such issues by the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In this revised edition for the 1990s Huxley writes clearly and intelligently, without pretension or botanical jargon, and provides a perfect layman's introduction to difficult choices. Saving the plants that save us, as he puts it, involves more than setting aside reserves for rain forests and pandas; it requires grass-roots education and action, government leadership and international cooperation to preserve genetic diversity built up by centuries of natural selection and human breeding. The author profiles dozens of plants whose discovery and development significantly changed human life--essential staple crops that feed the world, exotic herbs and spices, crops for industrial uses, medicinal plants, ornamentals, curiosities. The bottom line is that all life on earth depends on plants; their current rate of destruction endangers life.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The late horticulturist Huxley wrote more than 30 books about plants, including an earlier survey of the world's plants. This new, invaluable, and more urgent incarnation addresses the fact that critical plant species are dying out at an alarming rate, a situation that continues to worsen with the passing of time. Beautifully produced and illustrated, Green Inheritance draws attention to the problems facing the planet at large as well as the ways each individual can conserve natural resources. Overall, the educational and wide-ranging text promotes an appreciation for the wondrous properties of plant life, from basic sustenance and curative powers to the ecology of insects and flowers. The elegance and descriptive power of the text combines with compelling visuals to show the interconnectedness of deserts, oceans, and polar ice caps. Readers will come away with an enhanced view of the natural world and heightened interest in assessing the current movement toward genetic engineering. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Pr (February 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941423700
• ISBN-13: 978-0941423700
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,150,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any with an interest in botany, conservation or plant history must have GREEN INHERITANCE, May 20, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Inheritance: Saving the Plants of the World (Paperback)

If GREEN INHERITANCE: SAVING THE PLANTS OF THE WORLD sounds like a familiar topic, it's because it's a completely revised, expanded edition of the prior WWF BOOK OF PLANTS. Any with an interest in botany, conservation or plant history must have GREEN INHERITANCE: it explores many topics relating to plant issues and conservation, from the dwindling genetic base of the world's crops and the fading last wild places where new plants may be discovered. GREEN INHERITANCE expands upon its predecessor with new coverage on invasive plants, plant diversity issues, herbal medicine, and more. A wealth of color photos throughout and chapters linking human concerns with issues of plant preservation make GREEN INHERITANCE of interest not only to the college-level collection, but to any general-interest public library strong in conservation titles.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch