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Academic & Professional Books  Botany  Vascular Plants  Vascular Plants: General

Garlic and Other Alliums The Lore and the Science

Out of Print
By: Eric Block
453 pages, Col & b/w figs, tabs
Garlic and Other Alliums
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  • Garlic and Other Alliums ISBN: 9780854041909 Hardback Oct 2009 Out of Print #183109
About this book Contents Biography Related titles

About this book

The genus Allium includes more than 800 species of which only a few have been cultivated as foods. Many of the other members of this genus are popular with gardeners as easy to maintain perennials, although the smell of some members of the genus can be off-putting. The smell is a consequence of breakdown of sulphur-containing compounds which is a characteristic of this family of plants.

Garlic, onions, leeks, chives and other members of the genus Allium occupy a unique position both as edible plants and herbal medicines, appreciated since the dawn of civilization. Alliums have been featured through the ages in literature, where they are both praised and reviled, as well as in architecture and the decorative arts. Garlic pills are top-selling herbal supplements while garlic-based products show considerable promise as environmentally friendly pesticides.

This book outlines the extensive history and the fascinating past and present uses of these plants, sorting out fact from fiction based upon detailed scrutiny of historic documents as well as numerous laboratories studies.

Contents

1. Allium Botany and Cultivation, Ancient and Modern 2. All Things Allium: Alliums in Literature, the Arts and Culture 3. Allium Chemistry 101: Historical Highlights, Fascinating Facts and Unusual Uses for Alliums; 4. Chemistry in a Salad Bowl: Allium Chemistry and Biochemistry 5. Alliums in Folk and Complementary Medicine 6. Alliums in the Environment: Allelopathy and Allium-Derived Attractants, Antibiotics, Herbicides, Pesticides and Repellents

Customer Reviews

Biography

Eric Block, Carla Rizzo Delray Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University at Albany, State University of New York.
Out of Print
By: Eric Block
453 pages, Col & b/w figs, tabs
Media reviews
This is a fascinating book written by an authority on the chemistry of the edible alliums, which include garlic, onions, leeks and chives. The book is well written and up-to-date. I can thoroughly recommend this book not just to natural product chemists but also to all those who have grown these plants in the garden or enjoyed eating them. It contains many anecdotes and quotations to enliven a chemist's dinner party. -- Chemistry World, February 2010, Jim Hanson Chemistry World What do garlic and onions have in common with gunpowder? A lot. They're incendiary. They can do harm and they delight. Sulfur is central to their powers. And they helped inspire the work of a chemist who has just published a welcome treatise on the smelly yet indispensable allium family. Dr. Block's book may be the definitive word on the alliums for the moment, but as it and he make clear, there are new flavors to look forward to. -- The New York Times, 8 June 2010, Harold McGee This book by Eric Block is a synthesis of his four decades of distinguished work with alliums. His account of this ever-increasing knowledge is accessible and will even entertain readers without a deep knowledge of chemistry. Block may look at the world through garlic-tinged lenses, but in this book he is very good at getting readers to see it his way. -- Chemistry & Industry, 8 February 2010, Meriel Jones Chemistry and Industry '...enjoyment of this book should not be limited to scientists. The book is a virtual encyclopedia of garlic and onion facts, and while it may make a necessary addition to the food chemist's library, it is something that any foodie, especially a garlic lover, can enjoy.' Harold McGee -- Food and Foodways, 18: 3, 170-172 (Thomas J Mansell) Food and Foodways 'Block writes well and passionately...gives a very balanced assessment of the claims and evidence for the health benefits of eating or taking allium supplements, primarily garlic. The book is well written and illustrated: a particular bonus is the inclusion of 27 coloured botanical prints from a volume of Flora Germanica. It will probably be of most interest to students and researchers familiar with plant biochemistry, but there is also something for those curious about this group of plants that play a prominent role in cooking, culture and chemistry.' -- Biochemist e-volution, 28 July 2010 (Iain J McEwan) 'Both entertaining, and at the same time a challenging read, there is a lot of valuable information in this book. My hat is off to Eric for the amazing contribution to the world's collection of allium science.' -- The Garlic Press, 22/04/2010 (Bob Dunkel) 'Block presents an entertaining and informative account of the history of garlic, onions, and other alliums. This ethnobotanic work is truly interdisciplinary, intended for a wide audience of historians, sociologists, chemists, cooks, botanists, and naturalists. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic, professional, and general libraries, all levels.' -- Choice, v 47, No 10, June 2010, L Swatzell, Southeast Missouri State University CHOICE '...well organized, and presents something for everyone. It should be said right away that this is far from a typical "chemistry" book due to both the varied content and the style of presentation. ...it all works rather well together; it is a fine example of how complex chemistry can be contextualized in a fascinating and often entertaining way.' -- Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 2 (Derek A Pratt) Angewandte Chemie, International Edition 'There is some fascinating chemistry told here. Both the chemistry itself and the story of its revelation are given in detail. Within the book there are some fascinating anecdotes - a town in America where it is illegal to attend a theatre after eating raw onions, the resigned reflection that despite its benefits 'garlic mouthwash is unlikely to be a winning consumer product' and the warning that garlic in your socks will come out on your breath. Now there's an experiment any of us can try.' -- EiC, Sept 2010 (David Quick) Education in Chemistry This book brings to mind the poet Horace's formula for successful writing: He wins every hand who mingles profit with pleasure, by delighting and instructing the reader at the same time. Eric Block has certainly mixed the useful and the sweet in his book. I started Block's book as a reviewer and became an admirer. A book that contributes so richly to my teaching and understanding of chemistry is a rare pleasure. -- Stephen R Pruett, Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/ed2001889 Publication Date (Web): April 18, 2011 Journal of Chemical Education
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