Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #225027 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
There is nothing quite like this book in the world's literatureit is the Hope diamond of horticulture. In the field of edible plants, Carol Deppe is a modest legend who has been a matchmaker and midwife to many new vegetables.In this book, Ms. Deppe explains how she and a few other masters of plant breeding have achieved their success. She encourages the rest of us to try our hands and heartsand patienceat producing our own culinary gems. Ms. Deppe, who combines a doctorate in plant genetics with insatiable curiosity and soil-stained hands, will continue to inspire growers to participate in a creative process as ancient as farming itself.This book is an intense and readable exposition of the science and art of plant breeding, which will inspire and inform any reader. Even the casual reader who doesn't take up the challenge of developing unique garden specialties will become aware of humanity's debt to our predecessors, who turned wildlings into the organisms that can feed all of us. Ms. Deppe deserves a special pedestal in the company of her kindred spirits for this book, a revised version of a work originally published in 1993.John F. Swenson
Volunteer, Plant Information Office, Chicago Botanic Garden.

Customer Reviews

Excellent!!
This book is a great read for anybody who might have an interest in plant breeding. The author starts off at a relatively basic level and explains using practical examples how plant breeding is performed using a number of well-established techniques and processes. It is highly informative with plenty of reference to the tips and tricks used in plant-breeding. I have a scientific background, so I am quite familiar with the scientific side i.e. genetics etc, but some readers unfamiliar with the concepts of genes and heredity may find that the going gets tough in places. However, the author does succeed in keeping the tone and writing style as down-to-earth as possible which makes this book very accessible to the lay reader. Without doubt it is the most accessible book on the market regarding plant-breeding at the moment. One technical quibble I have is that the statistical tables at the back of the book, for estimating the necessary number of plants required to isolate particular genetic types, could have been developed a bit further. But other than that it is a very complete book and should inspire many gardeners/growers to take their work with plants to a higher level.

Go create your own varieties...
This book is destined to become a classic, if it is not already. The author brings professional botanical and genetic knowledge and practical gardening together in a way that an intelligent gardener can follow easily. It makes a good read in one go, and then acts as a reference book for specific techniques and plants. It is very much about what it says in the title - breeding your own vegetable varieties. You will need other books on organic gardening and seed saving if you want help with specifics of those things. I found the book stimulating and visionary.