Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World

Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World

Read Dan Koeppel's posts on the Penguin Blog.

A gripping biological detective story that uncovers the myth, mystery, and endangered fate of the worldâ€™s most humble fruit

To most people, a banana is a banana: a simple yellow fruit. Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. In others parts of the world, bananas are what keep millions of people alive. But for all its ubiquity, the banana is surprisingly mysterious; nobody knows how bananas evolved or exactly where they originated. Rich cultural lore surrounds the fruit: In ancient translations of the Bible, the â€œappleâ€ consumed by Eve is actually a banana (it makes sense, doesnâ€™t it?). Entire Central American nations have been said to rise and fall over the banana.

But the biggest mystery about the banana today is whether it will survive. A seedless fruit with a unique reproductive system, every banana is a genetic duplicate of the next, and therefore susceptible to the same blights. Todayâ€™s yellow banana, the Cavendish, is increasingly threatened by such a blightâ€”and thereâ€™s no cure in sight.

Banana combines a pop-science journey around the globe, a fascinating tale of an iconic American business enterprise, and a look into the alternately tragic and hilarious banana subculture (one does exist)â€”ultimately taking us to the high-tech labs where new bananas are literally being built in test tubes, in a race to save the worldâ€™s most beloved fruit.
Country USA
Manufacturer Plume
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2007-12-27
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Plume
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2007-12-27
Format	Kindle eBook

Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World

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