The Seed Detective

The Seed Detective: Uncovering the secret histories of remarkable vegetables by Adam Alexander (Chelsea Green, 2022)

This book by British documentary film-maker and lifelong gardener Adam Alexander is fascinating reading if you are into growing your own food and food sustainability issues. It’s all about the history of some of the most commonly consumed vegetables – their origin as cultivated crops, their evolution, and how important it is for humanity to save a diverse collection of seeds for the future. While not a scientist himself, Alexander did consult with plant scientists about the genetics aspects of this topic. He also visited small farms all over the world (Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Africa, and North America) to track down the history of cultivation of different varieties of beans, peas, carrots, squash, lettuce, kale, etc. Alexander usually remembers to provide alternative names and measurement systems for (U.S.) Americans, but sometimes he forgets. Some line drawings would have been very useful to illustrate each of the vegetables he talks about.