plants that changed the world

I came across this at Borders yesterday and was immediately taken by its extremely beautiful cover. However, its contents are even more captivating. The author, John Newton fills this book with anecdotes on plants which have changed or influenced mankind. It is also accompanied by beautiful illustrations of botanical art. In John's own words, this book offers a guided tour of the intersection of both flora and fauna in all their complexity and variety, with all the wonders and woes that we have experienced along the way. This definitely deserves a space in my collection of books on plants.