Hitting the Books: 'Miracle Rice' fed China's revolution but endangered its crop diversity

Feeding the planet's 8 billion people is challenge enough and our current industrialized commercial practices are causing such ecological damage that we may soon find ourselves hard-pressed to feed any more. For decades, scientists have sought out higher yields and faster growth at the expense of genetic diversity and disease — just look at what we've done to the humble banana. Now, finally, researchers are working to revitalize landrace and heirloom crop varieties, using their unique, and largely forgotten, genetic diversity to reimagine global agriculture. In his new book, Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them, BBC food journalist Dan Saladino scours the planet in search of animals, vegetables and legumes most at-risk of extinction, documenting their origins and declines, as well as the efforts being made to preserve and restore them. In the excerpt below, Saladino takes a look at all-important rice, the cereal that serves as a staple crop for more than 3.5 billion people around the world.Farrar, Straus and Giroux publishingExcerpted from Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them by Dan Saladino. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Copyright © 2021 by Dan Saladino. All rights reserved.Whereas the global Green Revolution was largely steered by American science and finance, China’s push for greater food production was more self-contained. Both efforts happened more or less in parallel. Mao’s... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-02-05 16:30:43 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Widespread DNA testing could intensify American racism

In the modern digital media landscape, we are not the customers — or even the audience — we are the product. Every time we log on, our personal data including where we go, what we search for, who we interact with and what we buy is scraped, siphoned,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-10-24 15:00:11 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: The latest 'Little Brother' is a stark cybersecurity thriller

Back in 2008, New York Times best-selling author and Boing Boing alum, Cory Doctorow introduced Markus “w1n5t0n” Yallow to the world in the original Little Brother (which you can still read for free right here). The story follows the talented teenage... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-10-17 15:30:50 UTC ]
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#Merky Books makes Diversity in Advertising Award shortlist

PRH imprint #Merky Books is in the running to win £1m of Channel 4 airtime after making the six-strong shortlist for the broadcaster's Diversity in Advertising Award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-14 20:10:57 UTC ]
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Carty-Williams, Shukla and Malik shorylisted for first Diverse Book Awards

Candice Carty-Williams, Nikesh Shukla and Ayisha Malik are among authors shortlisted for this year's inaugural Diverse Book Awards.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-02 16:05:26 UTC ]
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7 Translated Books About Queer Life in Taiwan and China

Before writing my debut novel Bestiary, I began a year-long process of translating letters written by my grandmother, many of which were addressed to people I didn’t know. While attempting these translations, I realized the impossibilities and possibilities of the task—the losses and gaps and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-09-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
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China Bestsellers in August: A Nobel Laureate Hits the Charts

The acclaimed Chinese author Mo Yan, has raced onto the bestseller list in China with his first book since his 2012 Nobel win, A Late Bloomer The post China Bestsellers in August: A Nobel Laureate Hits the Charts appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-09-21 17:01:16 UTC ]
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Book sales hit record highs in 2019, but publishers ‘now need help’

Figures for last year show sales of £6.3bn, up 20% on 2015, but the Publishers Association says sector needs government support to weather coronavirusBook sales in the UK hit record levels in 2019, driven by a surge in audiobook and nonfiction titles, according to new figures released as... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-21 23:01:08 UTC ]
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Egmont scoops picture book of Roberts' hit pandemic poem

Egmont has snapped up a picture book of "The Great Realisation", Tomos Roberts' poem in response to Covid-19 that has been viewed more than 60 million times since it was posted online in April. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-29 12:53:30 UTC ]
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How Digital Media Can Stay One Step Ahead of the Diversity Revolution

June 2020's upheaval around racial justice has been at times painful, at times empowering and hopeful, and at times humbling. In the professional sphere, there's not an industry that hasn't felt the impact of the latest iteration of the Black Lives Matter movement. That's why this year's... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-06-24 21:33:03 UTC ]
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‘Valley of the Dolls’ may be the best bad movie — and novel. A new book explores Jacqueline Susann’s cult hit.

Stephen Rebello’s “Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!” is a more than just a gossipy look at the making of the film everyone loves to hate. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-06-12 12:12:21 UTC ]
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Changing the story with Hashtag BLAK and The Diverse Book Awards

I am a Black author and publisher in an industry that is dominated by white people. Black Lives Matter is not a hashtag. It is a movement that will carry on until we have seen real change. It is being said time and time again but there is still not enough representation in the publishing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-11 01:22:51 UTC ]
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First Quarter Industry Report: The Coronavirus Hits China’s Publishing

A first assessment of the Chinese market, January to March, shows physical bookstore sales plunging 60+ percent, printing stalled, supply chain disrupted. The post First Quarter Industry Report: The Coronavirus Hits China’s Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-05-05 03:15:53 UTC ]
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20 brand-new books hitting shelves today.

The days in quarantine would all blend together if it weren’t for Tuesday, which is the day new books hit the (now metaphorical) shelves. Here are a few of the titles dropping today. You can get them from your local indie and/or Bookshop (which, by the way, has now raised over one million... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-28 13:57:38 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2020: Looking Ahead

Chinese children’s publishers are busy analyzing the market, weighing strategies to reach readers, and building their lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2020: Reimagining Fantasy Titles

Chinese authors and publishers are trawling ancient texts, cultural heritage, and historical evidence for inspiration. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2020: More Original Children’s Titles

Chinese publishers, authors, and illustrators are united in their quest to deliver unique plots and creative ideas. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Shipping Delays Hit Books, Other Products, at Amazon

The surge at Amazon for such items as household staples and health and medical goods has resulted in extended shipping times for other products, including books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Coronavirus live updates: Hachette reports increased book orders from China

Hachette UK c.e.o. David Shelley says the firm has seen an increase in book orders from China once again after "several months of very low orders" as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-18 16:34:39 UTC ]
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For China's Book Biz Right Now, There's Nothing to Do But Work and Wait

An editor at a Beijing-based publisher describes the Chinese book business in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Coronavirus-hit Italy sees 25% drop in book sales

According to the Italian Publishers Association (AIE), Italy's book market fell 25% last week, with those areas worst-hit by the coronavirus—such as Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia—seeing drops of 50% and above. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-05 21:19:43 UTC ]
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