{"title":"Books by John Reader","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780140266757","title":"Africa","description":"Drawing on many years of African experience, John Reader has written a book of startling grandeur and scope that recreates the great panorama of African history, from the primeval cataclysms that formed the continent to the political upheavals facing much of the continent today.  Reader tells the extraordinary story of humankind's adaptation to the ferocious obstacles of forest, river and desert, and to the threat of debilitating parasites, bacteria and viruses unmatched elsewhere in the world. He also shows how the world's richest assortment of animals and plants has helped - or hindered - human progress in Africa.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224241451381,"sku":"9780140266757","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780140266757_f4a74ffe-acd2-46b8-b3dc-b64367751de2.jpg?v=1786011130"},{"product_id":"9780099474791","title":"The Untold History of the Potato","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhere does our food come from? The story of one of the world's most important crops \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the gold potatoes at the Sun Temple in Cuzco, Peru, the muddy ones in Ireland and those grown in China for McDonald's chips, the story of the spud is both satisfying and fascinating. John Reader follows the thread of the potato's story through the tapestry of human history, from its origins and evolution to its mysterious arrival in Europe, where it became a crucial part of gastronomic and social fabric. As global population swells and environmental sustainability becomes ever more crucial, Reader asks what role the potato still has to play - in this lively, readable study of our most humble foodstuff. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Each chapter is discrete in content and manner, yet densely connected to the rest. Wonderful: to understand the whole world through a single crisp’ \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311550247285,"sku":"9780099474791","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099474791_b3ab8875-75ae-4ada-b879-b321196080e9.jpg?v=1786011246"},{"product_id":"propitious-esculent","title":"Propitious Esculent","description":"\u003cp\u003eBaked, Roast, Boiled, Mashed, Steamed, French-Fried... We've probably all tried one or other type, and some of us eat them every day. The potato is one of \u003ci\u003ethe\u003c\/i\u003e most familiar and ubiquitous foods, and part of our sense of humble, even mundane normality. \u003ci\u003eCouch Potato. Cheap as Chips. Mr Potato Head.\u003c\/i\u003e But the story of the \u003ci\u003esolanum tuberosum\u003c\/i\u003e is darker - one of struggle, disease, dirt and survival.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore domestication thousands of years ago, high up on the Andean \u003ci\u003eantiplano\u003c\/i\u003e, the high alkaloid content of potatoes made them poisonous to humans. But since then, these perfectly formed bundles of nutrition - naturally fat free, consisting mainly of energy giving carbohydrate, but containing protein and half of your RDA of Vitamin C and potassium - have been grown safely and cheaply underground in almost any weather and soil conditions, helping to fuel industrial revolution and population explosions. But their efficiency and versatility have also led to over-reliance and tragedy - most devastatingly, in Ireland.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Reader follows the potato's fascinating journey, from its origins and evolution in the Andes to its slightly mysterious arrival in Europe, where it became, in Britain, Ireland and throughout Europe, a crucial part of our gastronomic and social fabric. 2008 has been designated International Year of the Potato by the UN, and as global population swells and famine remains a constant risk, Reader asks what role the spud still has to play. \u003ci\u003ePropitious Esculent\u003c\/i\u003e is a highly readable exploration of the biology, history and social influence of our most humble, versatile foodstuff.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57466520994165,"sku":"9780434018369","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780434018369.jpg?v=1785654579"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-john-reader.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}