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marisacarpico's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
A few years ago, I read a throwaway factoid about bananas in an unrelated book that was so extraordinary that it made me stop a few paragraphs later and go back. Have been excited to read this ever since and it was as fascinating and informative as I’d hoped.
Technically, I started this months ago as an audiobook, but after getting third of the way through, it felt like I wasn’t retaining the information as much I wanted to. So, I picked up the hard copy on my shelf and started over.
Easily one of the most readable and fascinating pieces of nonfiction I’ve ever read. Even those who might not typically read non-fiction or think reading just about bananas would be fascinated. Truly staggering how much this one fruit (or more accurately, herb) has influenced so many things. Culture, governments, scientific innovation, so many things that are common in our lives exist because of the banana.
This perhaps focuses more one the fruit’s endangered future and ways it can be saved than I expected, but all that is vital and as interesting as the history of how it became the world’s #1 staple crop. If nothing else, it makes me appreciate that every banana could be my last thanks to various circulating blights.
Also, I am so mad I didn’t read this before going to Hawaii. Some YouTuber I follow has been taking about apple bananas for years and I was floored when this revealed that that very banana is the glorious beacon of hope, the Goldfinger, the product of years of breeding and the banana that may eventually become our primary banana. I would kill for a bunch.
Technically, I started this months ago as an audiobook, but after getting third of the way through, it felt like I wasn’t retaining the information as much I wanted to. So, I picked up the hard copy on my shelf and started over.
Easily one of the most readable and fascinating pieces of nonfiction I’ve ever read. Even those who might not typically read non-fiction or think reading just about bananas would be fascinated. Truly staggering how much this one fruit (or more accurately, herb) has influenced so many things. Culture, governments, scientific innovation, so many things that are common in our lives exist because of the banana.
This perhaps focuses more one the fruit’s endangered future and ways it can be saved than I expected, but all that is vital and as interesting as the history of how it became the world’s #1 staple crop. If nothing else, it makes me appreciate that every banana could be my last thanks to various circulating blights.
Also, I am so mad I didn’t read this before going to Hawaii. Some YouTuber I follow has been taking about apple bananas for years and I was floored when this revealed that that very banana is the glorious beacon of hope, the Goldfinger, the product of years of breeding and the banana that may eventually become our primary banana. I would kill for a bunch.
mollymoll44's review against another edition
4.5
Great review of the history of the banana, especially if you're interested in economic imperialism.
gracefullypunk's review against another edition
4.0
I'd like to give it 4.5 stars; unfortunately, this is not an option. This book is an engaging, quick read, and particularly fascinating to people interested in international affairs, Central America, and food policy. Although I knew much of what had gone on in terms of CAm and bananas, I learned quite a bit about bananas around the world, the varieties, how they spread, and what might be done to keep them around. And who knows--if the solution offered at the end of the book comes into play, I might actually eat bananas again. Yes, I read a book about a fruit I don't even eat. And I enjoyed it quite a bit.
frenchfrybri's review against another edition
3.0
this book was bananas! it was really broad and honestly i would’ve read a longer book with a lot more details and it seemed like the author had the info to make a big chonk of book but didn’t. very interesting and i learned why i have always hated bananas growing up in north america but enjoyed eating them when i was in kenya haha
jerbil's review against another edition
4.0
Shocked by how intricate and complex the history behind this fruit is. Something we take for granted has caused so much pain, even lead to deaths, and has been the life’s work of so many and haunted so many researchers.