New Directions in the Study of Plants and People: Research Contributions from the Institute of Economic Botany. 1990. (Advances in Economic Botany, 8). numerous illustr. VII,278 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

This book offers a rich and diverse sampling of papers written bypresent and past IEB staff, honorary associates, and collaborators. Theseventeen chapters reflect the broad scope of the Institute's scientificcontributions. While most of the chapters deal with promising yetunderexploited Neotropical resources, the perspectives employed and theaspects emphasized are extremely varied. The taxonomy, ecology,nutritional composition, uses, management, local nomenclature, and eveninfluence on regional history of an array of products are discussed.Other chapters deal with subtropical Caribbean and North Americanvegetation. This contribution summarizes some of the research done byone major institution in the important field of economic botany, andprovides an excellent sample of the richness of the interdisciplinaryfield itself.