Description

This book is concerned with the most devastating fungal diseases in history. These are the plagues of trees and crop plants, caused by invisible spores that have reshaped entire landscapes and decimated human populations. The Triumph of the Fungi focuses on the fascinating biology of the well- and lesser-known diseases, and also tells the stories of the scientists involved in their study, and of the people directly impacted by the loss of forest trees like the chestnut, and cash crops such as coffee and cacao. In a surprisingly brief time, human knowledge of the fungi that infect plants has evolved from Biblical superstition, to the recognition of the true nature of plant disease, and, more recently, to a sense of awe for the sophistication of these microbes. The crucial issue of human culpability in these fungal epidemics is addressed in the books closing chapter.

Features

• Brings home the impact that fungal diseases have on plants, focusing on the plagues that caused major changes on the environment and humans at all political and economic levels
• Does a thorough job of gathering little known facts and anecdotes to supplement material that is generally more familiar to students of agruiculture or natural history
• Reminds us that our future lies in remembering our past; the human culpability behind these plagues is one that humans have not addressed adequately.
• Illuminates a subject that absolutely needs attention; none of the analogous books in print cover this topic as thoroughly as Money does.

Reviews

"Money writes in an easy and pleasant fashion with strong personal opinions; he essentially provides a one-on-one colloquy."--The Quarterly Review of Biology

"It is a seriously good read, packed with interesting and unexpected asides and notes, so you never quite know what to expect-enthusiasm and excitement exude from every page... This is a book all mycologists should read, and one that should be compulsory in plant pathology courses." --Mycological Research

"Biologists and the scientifically informed public will benefit from the opportunity to learn about the classic fungal diseases of plants in a book written in an enjoyable, often witty style. ... Money uses colorful language in explaining much of the intricate biology of fungi; he is scientifically accurate and serious when appropriate." --Choice

"The book rewards its readers-including those who begin the book with little interest in fungi-by focusing on plants with obvious importance to people (chestnut and elm trees; cacao, coffee and rubber plants; potatoes, corn and wheat) and by embedding lessons about fungal biology in stories peppered with memorable detail." --American Scientist

"A first rate scholar and historian of plant pathology, Money is an able raconteur."--^Mycologist's Bookshelf

Product Details

216 pages; 9 halftones, 27 line illus.; 6-1/8 x 9-1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-518971-1ISBN10: 0-19-518971-X

About the Author(s)