Bread, beer and the seeds of change: Agriculture's imprint on world history

This book examines grain production and processing in various early agricultural societies as well as the technological advances in Western societies. The book is organized into three parts. The first part (chapters 2-6) examines background information and discusses the basics of cropping and food production that had to be resolved by all societies. Part II (chapters 7-11) is an examination of food production during the Golden Age of five ancient societies (the Sumerians, Egyptians, Chinese, Mayans, and the Bantu of Africa) that evolved more-or-less independently, each with unique agricultural practices. Topics discussed include the environmental conditions that existed to allow abundant crop production, the technology that was applied in growing the crops, and the methods used in baking and brewing during the Golden Age of each society. Part III (chapters 12-16) examines a succession of western societies which reflected a progression in increasing crop production technology. It considers the Golden Ages of five societies in this sequence: Athenian and Roman Empires, feudal Europeans, British, and Americans. An epilogue discusses the future of grain fermentation. Available In Print