Description
The Story of Corn is a coffee table book that combines history, art, science, and anthropology to explore the wonders of corn. This staple food product of the Americas sustained numerous Native Peoples over centuries. The cultural context and many uses of corn are described in this readable, personal narrative. The author relates personal stories and connections to corn as well as providing a wealth of trivia information about this useful plant. Whether it is a biography of Orville Redenbacher or a look at American's only corn palace, the author provides a delightful story about the impact of corn on the modern world. Its many uses and benefits as well as its spiritual connection for the Navajo and other North and South American Natives are outlined. The book examines the planting, growing, harvesting, storing and cooking of corn in the past and in contemporary times. The author discusses the way corn became a commodity and its current usage around the world. The book is liberally illustrated with 150 black and white photographs and 100 drawings. Throughout the text along the margins appear various quotations about corn from literary works, historians, novelists, and early travellers. The book contains an index and bibliography. This is a useful book ideal for public and school libraries as well as the general reader.