Plants for People [Hardcover]

Anna Lewington (Author), Anita Roddick (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 1990 | ISBN-10: 0195208404 | ISBN-13: 978-0195208405

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.

Editorial Reviews

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.

Review

“An accessible, informative, and inviting introduction to plants and their critical and varied roles in our daily lives.” -- Library Journal --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 16, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195208404
• ISBN-13: 978-0195208405
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,216,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars plants for people is great, January 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Plants for People (Hardcover)

This is a great book for people interested in the working relationship between people and plants. It gives hundreds of examples from all over the world showing the immense usefulness of plants. Plants are the base for many items we use everyday, adhesives, rubber, dyes. Its important for people to realize for themselves that we need the natural world for more than just inspiring visuals. It is a working relationship, as long as we keep in mind that plants have requirements as well - clean air, clean water, and clean soil. This is a good book to motivate people to be more aware and enthusiastic about world habitates and economic botany.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, informative book, June 2, 2009

By 

Gita (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Plants for People (Hardcover)

I originally got this book from the library, but I liked it so much I had to add it to my collection. This book spells out how plants are part of many products we use daily - food, medicine, cosmetics, soaps, clothes, etc. The book is well researched and well written. The material is presented in a manner that is easy to understand but also detailed and informative, making the book suitable as a teaching tool, reference, or just for general education. Great for anyone interested in knowing more about the interrelationship between people and plants. Beautiful pictures accompany the text.