改变世界的植物

改变世界的植物

7种植物----苶、烟草、甘蔗、罂粟、棉花、金鸡纳树、橡胶树----润滑贸易车轮，交换国家财富。从美洲到中国，从印度到巴西，间谍，探险者纷纷登场，演绎历史，惊险的故事动人心弦。

7 kinds of plants, tired, tobacco, sugar cane, poppy, cotton, bark, rubber tree, lubricating the wheels of trade, exchange of national wealth. From America to China, from India to Brazil, spy, explorers have the stage, the interpretation of history, thrilling story strike a deep chord.

植物为人类提供了食物、药品，供我们制作衣物对抗严寒，也为我们提供了茶、咖啡、烟草等精神刺激物质，当

然还制造了鸦片、大麻这样让文明世界头疼不已的麻烦事……说植物塑造文明或改变世界一点都不过分。这本书讲述的是近代以来改变世界政治经济版图和影响历史走向的7种植物―――包括烟草、甘蔗、棉花、茶、罂粟、金鸡纳、橡胶树―――的故事。它们不单单带来了时尚的消费、疟疾的克星、汽车的轮胎，而且成为权力和贸易角逐的主角，给某些人带来了巨量的财富。然而，“无论是在美洲强占殖民地，还是控制印度资源；无论是从中国走私茶叶，还是贩卖非洲的奴隶，每一个追逐财富的故事都洋溢着血腥”。―――如今的人们，已经能够比较客观地看待过往的历史了。然而，我们由此对未来有所领悟了吗？前几年，因为西方科学家发现中国的红豆杉有治疗癌症的功效，附近的农民纷纷上山剥红豆杉的树皮，引发了一场生态灾难。另一个必须面对的问题是，由于人类活动的影响，很多尚未探明用途的物种正走向灭绝，它们也就永远失去了潜在的“改变世界”的力量。

Plants provide food, medicines for human being, for we make clothes against the cold, also provide tea, coffee, tobacco, for our psychoactive substance, when

It also made the opium, marijuana, so let the civilized world headache problems...... Said plant shape civilization or change the world a little too much. This book is about 7 plants -- since modern times change the world political

and economic layout and the course of history include tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, poppy, Cinchona, rubber tree story --. They not only brought the fashion consumption, malaria nemesis, automobile tires, and become the power and trade competition of the protagonist, has brought the huge wealth to some people. However, "whether in America grab colonies, or control of India resources; whether it is smuggled from China tea, or trafficking of slaves from Africa, every pursuit of wealth story is filled with bloody". -- the people nowadays, has been able to objectively look at the historical past. However, we have learned about the future? A few years ago, because Western scientists found Chinese yew has the efficacy of cancer treatment, the farmers have a mountain near the stripping of the bark of the yew, has caused an ecological disaster. Another problem we must face is, due to the impact of human activities, many has not yet proven use species are extinct, they will lose the potential "change the world" power.