50 Plants that Changed the World

Stephen A. Harris (BSc, PhD)

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Hardback

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English

Bodleian Library
15 September 2025

Mathematics & Sciences; Trees, wildflowers & plants

Have you ever stopped to think about how your morning cappuccino came to be? From the coffee bush that yielded the beans, to the grass for the cattle

or perhaps the soya

that produced the milk, plants are an indispensable part of our everyday life.

Beginning with some of the earliest uses of plants, Stephen Harris takes us on an exciting journey through history, identifying fifty plants that have been key to the development of the western world, discussing trade, imperialism, politics, medicine, travel and chemistry along the way. There are plants here that have changed landscapes, fomented wars and fuelled slavery. Others have been the trigger for technological advances, expanded medical knowledge or simply made our lives more pleasant. Plants have provided paper and ink, chemicals that could kill or cure, vital sustenance and stimulants. Some, such as barley, have been staples from earliest times; others, such as oil palm, are newcomers to western industry.

We remain dependent on plants for our food, our fuel and our medicines. As the wide-ranging and engaging stories in this beautifully illustrated book demonstrate, their effects on our lives continue to be profound and often unpredictable.

By: Stephen A. Harris (BSc PhD)
Imprint: Bodleian Library
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 2nd New edition
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781851246526
ISBN 10: 1851246525
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 15 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Stephen A. Harris is Druce Curator of the Oxford University Herbaria.

Reviews for 50 Plants that Changed the World

""This delightful debut chronicle from Harris traces how beets, wheat, yew, and other plants have shaped human society throughout history...Plant lovers will want to add this to their collection.""-- ""Publisher's Weekly""