Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Conservation biologist Hanson follows Feathers (2011) with a book inspired, in part, by his young son's preternatural fascination with seeds. Jocular and entertaining in his dispensing of remarkable facts about these little vessels of life-to-be, Hanson shares tales of his Central American field work (snakes and all) studying the stone-hard almendo seed, which grows into a long-lived, 150-foot, rain forest giant supporting an entire, seething ecosystem. This inspires Hanson to vividly describe the evolutionary virtual arms race between seeds and seed-eaters. As he visits with seed experts around the world, Hanson marvels over the amazing energetics of seeds, the evolutionary impact of our ancestors' consumption of seeds, especially cooked grains, and the civilization-shaping political power of grain. He also chronicles the global impact of coffee and chili peppers and seeds' capacity for dormancy, including one excavated 2000-year-old date palm seed that grew into a 10-foot tree in Israel. From high-tech, high-security seed banks bracing for climate change to the story of the gum extracted from guar seeds that is used in everything from ice cream to fracking, this upbeat and mind-expanding celebration of the might of seeds is popular science writing as its finest.--Seaman, Donna Copyright 2015 Booklist
Choice Review
Chapter by chapter, seed by seed, Hanson (a conservation biologist) tells the surprising stories of how seeds influenced the outcome of significant historical events, from the growth in the popularity of coffee and chocolate to the development of the Stealth Bomber. Written in an engaging style, the book flows nicely; each chapter leads into the next, so the book is hard to put down. Just as seeds have influenced life on Earth, evolution has influenced their development. The author reveals a number of ongoing mysteries, both scientific and historical, in the quest to understand why seeds have been so successful. For example, caffeine acts as both reward and poison in a delicate balance where bees, like morning commuters, line up for their appropriate dose of the drug. According to one expert, caffeine has become the drug that makes the modern world possible. It can also harm the seeds it serves to spread by inhibiting seed germination. Hanson argues that evolutionary intelligence finds the right balance--evolution acts like a gardener, saving the most successful experiments. From cotton to orchids, the future of seeds looks promising. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --Ted Johnson, Prescott Valley Public Library
Library Journal Review
Conservation biologist Hanson's new book showcases an even more approachable style than his 2011 Feathers. Using a personalized viewpoint derived from his backyard lab and dissertation research in Costa Rica with the almendro tree, as well as visits with specialists worldwide, he describes how seeds nourish, unite, endure, defend, and travel. What is a seed? A potential baby plant with a protective coat and food to start growing. With that in mind, and a little humor, the author includes paleontology, evolution, a 2,000-year-old seed that grew a tree called Methuselah, seed banks and botanical gardens, and seeds that are both useful to and harmful to humans. He discusses seeds' shapes and sizes; how they are distributed by water, air, animals, and birds; how they inspire us (think flight); and how they protect themselves. Jane Goodall's recent Seeds of Hope has a chapter on seeds and mentions some of the same items found here, but Hanson's work also includes a solid glossary and bibliography that are not offered in Goodall's title. VERDICT Recommended for gardeners and readers of natural history and history of science.-Jean E. Crampon, Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, Lib. (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
