Seeds of Wealth

Following "Seeds of Change", with its investigation of the seminal role of plants in human social and economic history, Henry Hobhouse here focuses on the economic consequences of the exploitation of rubber, timber, tobacco and the wine grape - each of which enormously increased the wealth of those who dealt in them, created great new industries and changed the course of history. Ancient Rome's monopoly on wine production had huge economic and hygienic importance. Without rubber, there would have been no development of cars, buses and trucks, bicycles, waterproof clothing or even tennis and condoms. Tobacco has largely been condemned for its effects on health and its true role in history has been ignored. Tobacco has often been used in place of currency and its growth in Virginia supported a colony that produced much of the talent that made American independence possible. Timber shortages led the British Royal Navy to become dependent on American timber. The dearth of timber drove English coal mines deep, which led to the steam pumps, steam engines and, ultimately, the Industrial Revolution. This book presents the effect of minutiae on the great waves of history.