Seeds of Wealth: Four Plants That Made Men Rich

Henry Hobhouse's new book deals with the effect of plants on humans and their past. But this new book, Seeds of Wealth, tells the story of four plants that made men rich, and how these plants inadvertently changed the course of history.
The four crops Hobhouse has chosen are timber, the wine grape, rubber and tobacco. These four were not picked out of a hat; their cultivation and consumption has had a profound and enduring effect on the world in general and, specifically, on those who grew or traded their fruits.