Title: Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World
Author: Dan Koeppel
Dan Koeppel explores the history of the banana, including the dominance of the Cavendish variety (the one we eat now), the threats it faces, and the way the fruit shaped the politics of Central America for the last century.
I felt a little weird carrying this book around. I read it during the weekend when I was in Utah for the Wasatch Back, and I realized at least three times that I was out in public, eating a banana, while reading this book. It was an interesting read, especially for someone like me who knew very little about the political aspect of my favorite fruit. Last year, when I read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I thought she was sort of crazy for swearing off bananas because of their political history and fossil fuel drain. Now I see that she's probably right. But like Kingsolver couldn't give up her coffee (she switched to fair-trade coffee to try to make the most socially responsible choice), I don't think I can give up bananas. They're the only thing in my diet (other than chocolate) which I eat almost every single day. Now I'll just feel guilty as I indulge.
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