Nature of Crops, The

John Warren is Director of Education at Aberystwyth University. He has an academic interest in the sex-life of plants and a recreational interest in all things edible. Formally a cocoa breeder, he worked on the world chocolate gene bank at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. Whilst there he published scientific papers on the unusual sexual practices of Caribbean cocoa and also pried into the private lives of several less familiar tropical crops including the star-fruit and tree cucumber. Prior to working in the Caribbean he spent two years literally sowing wild oats at the University of Liverpool. He has made regular appearances on BBC Scotland's Beechgrove Potting Shed.

• 1: Introduction: The Nature of Natural - What does domestication involve? 2: Wild Things - Recently domesticated crops and crops that have returned to the wild 3: Learning to Live with Exotic Sexual Practices - How plant breeding systems limit domestication 4: Storing up Trouble - Plants with storage organs 5: The Weird and Wonderful - Herbs, spices and crops with exotic phytochemicals 6: Accidents of History - The role of chance events in domestication 7: Classic Combinations and Reoccurring Themes - Plant families that have been repeatedly domesticated 8: Ownership and Theft - How the economic value of crops has influenced their domestication 9: Fifty Shades of Green - Nutrient rich crops and the next generation

"Written by a natural story-teller, this book is a 'must' - a very readable book, packed with interesting and useful information, exploring and clearly explaining the cool science behind the development of the plants that sustain us." Dr Tim Pettitt, Eden Project "This book is a journey of discovery - Astute, funny and eye-opening, it is essential reading for serious plant geeks and curious foodies alike." James Wong, Ethno-botanist and Broadcaster "John Warren tells astonishing stories in this book - often funny, sometimes alarming, and always riveting." Dr Peter Wakelin, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales "This well-researched and engagingly written book takes us on a fascinating journey... It provides new insights into the process of crop domestication and reveals much about why we eat the plants that we do." Dr Colin Clubbe, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew "This book is a fun and informative romp through the history of our favourite crops but it has an important message - is our diet sustainable? It's high time to look at the history of our current crops and to consider our food supply for the future." Dr Natasha de Vere, National Botanic Garden of Wales