Seeds of Change: Six Plants That Transformed Mankind

In Seeds of Change, Henry Hobhouse takes six commercial plants - sugar, tea, cotton, the potato, quinine and the coca plant - and shows how man's need, or greed, for these products has changed the face of history and shaped destinies. A fascinating and highly original interpretation of large areas of history, it argues that these commodities have had a more profound impact on the world than most wars, battles and revolutions. Henry Hobhouse has expanded this edition to include the coca plant, tracing its enormous social and economic impact throughout the world. This is an important addition not only to Seeds of Change but also to our understanding of modern culture.