The Story of the Apple

About this book

The Story of the Apple reveals the solution to a long-standing puzzle. Where did the apple come from, and why is the familiar large, sweet, cultivated apple so different from all other wild apple species with their bitter, cherry-sized fruits? This book will fascinate gardeners who wish to know more about the origin and natural history of the plants that they grow in their yards or orchards, researchers and students in botany and horticulture who want the evidence from DNA, geology, anthropology, archaeology, zoology, and Classical history, and anyone with an interest in diet, well-being, and the benevolent effects of plants on the emergence of humankind.

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Biography

Barrie E. Juniper, University of Oxford, is a pioneer in the study of plant surfaces, including the specialized ones of insect-catching carnivorous plants. His research interests also include the interaction between people, their animals, and the evolution of crop plants. David J. Mabberley is the Soest Professor of Horticultural Science and Director of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, and visiting professor at the University of Leiden. He, too, is interested in the relationships of plants and humans and has published extensively on botanical history and art, tropical ecology, and is the author of The Plant-Book, a Portable Dictionary of the Higher Plants.