The remarkable roles resins play in the lives of plants and people.
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Few people are aware of the great diversity of resin-producing plants or the remarkable roles resins play for plants and people. Resins evolved millions of years ago to defend plants against their enemies, as recorded by fossil resins like amber, and humans have used them since prehistory. Plant Resins tells the whole story about these fascinating plant products. The book is richly illustrated with maps, colour and black-and-white photographs and exquisite line drawings by Jesse Markman. This comprehensive and integrated discussion of resins will appeal to botanists, ecologists, ethnobotanists, chemists, anthropologists, archaeologists, museum conservators and amber enthusiasts.
Media Reviews
An essential for all those who appreciate and value the world of plants.
Has something impressive for everyone who ventures into its pages.
I never expected to be so captivated by the singular subject. . . . This outstanding work is comprehensive and detailed yet there is something for everyone to appreciate.
While detailed enough for specialists, lucid and fascinating for others.
It is a pleasure to explore the plant world contained in Jean Langenheim's masterpiece, Plant Resins.
The whole book makes fascinating reading for both the professional scientist and educated layperson; once I started reading it it was hard to put it down.
What is most impressive is how the author organizes chapters permitting topcis to overlap in such an illuminating manner . . . this book gives the reader the perfect reply to the sneering question, 'Well, what is it good for?' There's only one reply. Resins are still good for what they've been good for, for thousands of years.
This is a very fine book, the first in over 50 years to cover the subject so well, covering all aspects of resins with detail and authority.
The whole book makes fascinating reading for both the scientist and educated layperson; once I started reading it it was hard to put down.
Dr. Langenheim's prowess as a scholar has allowed her to bring together an impressive array of the past and current explorations about plant resins into one book...certain to become the most widely read and cited book about plant resins for many years to come.
Dr. Langenheim's prowess as a scholar has allowed her to bring together an impressive array of the past and current explorations about plant resins into one book...Plant Resins will become the standard reference for this subject.
A remarkable book on a unique subject.
This interesting and informative book is very easy to read and follow . . . I highly recommend it to anybody with a casual or research interest in plants, plant resins, or natural products.
A one-volume library of resin natural history and ethnobotany. It will be welcomed by students, researchers, and interested amateurs in biology, forestry, archaeology and phytochemistry. I recommend it enthusiastically.
Is is gratifying to see a lifetime of work with a wide cast of collaborators...it is the most comprehensive review yet written on all aspects of palnt resins, from chemistry and biology to ethnobotany and commerce.
This book is certainly a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in the cultural history of plants and another example of the high quality ethnobotanical books published by Timber Press.
An excellent complement to the conservation, art technology, and cultural history literature and one that can offer great enrichment and enjoyment. So, a must-have browser!
An authoritative and definitive work of interest and utility to readers working in botany, biology, chemistry, ecology, anthropology, or history.
Langenheim, a respected resin authority, has done a commendable task. Few books have been published on this topic, so her book will be the benchmark for resins.
Don't sit down to read this fascinating book, unless you have time to do it justice.
