The Fate Of The Fruit That Changed The World By Dan Koeppel

In reading Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel, I was pleased by the contents of the book and found it to be an enjoyable read about the history of the banana crop and about the future viability of it as well. Initially, due to many recent discussions I've had on the topic with people, I believed that Koeppel, a New York Times columnist and online blogger, might have focused mainly on how large scale industry was evil and how the “corporations” were dooming us all. The book provided a large historical overview of the crop on top of the industrial problems which I enjoyed immensely. However most importantly for me is that the author does point out the issues with the crop, such as the high production of greenhouse gases involved in the industry, he does not altogether condemn the banana but instead suggests steps to try and save it. This is the highlight of the book
Regardless of your religious affiliations or beliefs on creation, Koeppel’s interest in the topic is apparent and draws the reader into the book. By using this historical background Koeppel manages to segway into the other main topics of his book such as the genetic and scientific background of the banana and the effect of the banana on the world environment and economy without seeming overly focused on those facts and keeping the book a bit lighter and easier to read. The parts about the genetics itself were interesting too, highlighting that bananas we eat are all essentially clones and the lack of genetic variation is what causes it to be so susceptible to disease. Also, while personally unappealing to me due to having spent too long researching the topic, learning again about the agricultural industry and its power it has over these banana republic countries was well written and