Plants for People

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.