THE TRIUMPH OF SEEDS

“[T]he genius of Hanson’s fascinating, inspiring and  entertaining book stems from the fact that it is not about how all kinds  of things grow from seeds; it is about the seeds themselves.  Hanson...takes one of the least-impressive-looking natural objects and  reveals a life of elegance and wonder.... Although he is a storyteller  by nature, he also charms us with an infectious enthusiasm. The reader  feels that Hanson cannot wait to tell us what comes next.... Like all  good writers, he understands narrative – that a book, at its best, is a  story, and that this one is built by spinning stories within stories.  They are fun, sometimes they are funny, and they are always fascinating  and readable.... [An] engaging book.”

— Mark Kurlansky, The New York Times Book Review

“[An]  engaging book.... What makes The Triumph of Seeds more than a routine  pop botany book is the way Mr. Hanson teases out the resonances between  the ways that plants and humans use seeds.... [A] lively and intelligent  book.”

— Richard Mabey, The Wall Street Journal  

“[Hanson is] jocular and entertaining in his dispensing of remarkable facts about these little vessels of life-to-be.... From high-tech, high-security seed banks bracing for climate change to the story of the gum extracted from guar seeds that is used in everything from ice cream to fracking, this upbeat and mind-expanding celebration of the might of seeds is popular science writing at its finest.” 

— Booklist (starred review)

“Who knew that seeds could be so thrilling and dangerous? Thor Hanson is a lively storyteller, a lyrical writer, and a quick wit. The Triumph of Seeds is more than an engrossing work of natural history. It’s a compelling and highly entertaining journey, populated by scientists and historians, criminals and explorers, aviators and futurists. Following Hanson’s global voyage is the best sort of armchair travel, because it is filled with wonder, poetry, and discovery.” 

— Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist

“[F]ast and fascinating prose.... Hanson, who has also chronicled feathers and gorillas, is a conservation biologist and Guggenheim fellow, and an ace dot-connector: He can draw a line between all the grain panics and crises and the tiny, miraculous structure of the seeds themselves, because he dives deeply into botany, economy and history. Also, he’s just plain fun.”

– Denver Post

“Conservation biologist Hanson’s new book showcases an even more approachable style than his 2011 Feathers. Using a personalized viewpoint derived from his backyard lab and dissertation research in Costa Rica with the almendro tree, as well as visits with specialists worldwide, he describes how seeds nourish, unite, endure, defend, and travel.”

– Library Journal

“[A] delightful account of the origins, physiologies and human uses of a vast variety of objects that plants employ to make more plants.... A fine addition to the single-issue science genre.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“As he did in his phenomenal Feathers, Thor Hanson brings us the nearly incredible world of seeds in a package as graceful and elegant as they are themselves, gift-wrapped in utterly seductive stories. I cannot recall a book I was so eager to finish, that I might begin it again.”

— Robert Michael Pyle, author of Wintergreen

“If you eat seeds of any kind, you must read this book! Ecologist Hanson gives us a rich Darwinian view of how seeds came to be the most important nutritional resource for human as well as older than human species. He is at his best when we are in the field with him, learning like detectives the ‘whodunnits’ of seed dispersal. You will never look a seed in the eye again without thanking Thor.”

— Gary Paul Nabhan, author of Food, Genes, and Culture 

“Thor has done it again. In a page-turner, he tells the stories of  seeds, their ecology, evolution and histories and why each of us every  day depends on, relies on, delights in or suffers from seeds. This book  will change the way you think about your coffee, your chocolate or even  just the weed growing stubbornly (from a seed) out of the crack in the  sidewalk. Because seeds are everywhere, a reality that you will never  forget again after reading this book.”

— Rob Dunn, author of The Wild Life of Our Bodies 

“This  beautifully written book is a magnificent read. Every page is full of  surprises and illuminating insights, illustrating the fascinating  evolution of seeds, and their extraordinary impact on humans, past and  present. A master storyteller, Hanson has created a first-rate natural  history. When you reach the end of this page-turner, you will wish there  were more … and you will never look 

at seeds in the same way.”

— Eric Jay Dolin, author of Leviathan