Great book. There was the scientific, evolutionary aspect of the banana and then the socio- political one. All are related in say to understand terms and the whole reads like a novel. A story well told. Hope some political decision makers read it ( )

Interesting reading. However, the book has many faults. First, it's too long. How many times does the author have to repeat the same facts? And the history is confusing as the author bounces back and forth from country to county and year to year. The author also leaves the reader clueless as to many questions. What's the likelihood that the banana (as we know it) will disappear, change, etc. He just presents all the options as possibilities and we are left trying to puzzle out the likelihoods ourselves.

I loved the subject matter but didn't really love how the writer approached it. Still, I was able to pick up some interesting information about this familiar fruit. Also, I was a little bothered about how it seems the book considers Genesis to be part of History, even including it in the timeline at the end...Weird. And for the record: Brazilian bananas are the best ;) ( )

Everything you need to know about bananas and how they influenced world politics. Very interesting. ( )

I walked into the front doors of my local library, and there was this book. It was one of the featured books on some library summer theme. I couldn't resist picking it up.

I had completed my doctoral thesis on Guatemala, a country considered to be one of the Central American Banana Republics, and was well aware of United Fruit's horrendous involvement, with U.S. government complicity and support, in Guatemala's insurrection, war, genocide, and corruption. United Fruit is now Chiquita and, for the most part, it is a vastly more ethical conglomerate than it was before. Still, it's known underhandedness in establishing relationships with brutal rebels and dictators continued into the late 1990s. (I remain skeptical that the underhandedness has abated.) Building from Bitter fruit: The story of the American coup in Guatemala (Schlesinger, Kinder, & Coatsworth, 2005), Banana more greatly details how American preference for the popular, cheap fruit is responsible for lots of poverty and death that Americans easily dismiss for the convenience of having the fruit in our markets. It is not lost on me that the fruit is now a staple in convenience stores selling for around $.78 per banana (!!) when a whole pound of bananas costs about as much. I can guarantee 7-11 does not share that huge profit margin with the Central American growers. As Koeppel concludes, unless we can tear ourselves away from convenience in support of locally grown and seasonal produce, Banana Republics will continue to exist.

I also had a less moral, more personal reason for picking up the book. My Grandson adores the fruit. He is a very picky eater though he will eat almost any fruit you put in front of him. Bananas are his favorite fruit and, at only 1.5 years old, will easily eat three bananas for breakfast unless we intervene to fight an egg or cereal into his mouth. Bananas were actually a prominent theme of our recent Hawaiian vacation. Our family visited the Dole plantation and pointed out the banana trees much to his delight. At another plantation we ate a delicious banana-apple variety that he found absolutely scrumptious. We even tried to buy a bunch still on the stalk so Grandson could pick them himself (we never located one). Finding Banana filled in the gaps between plantation and state-side supermarket. It was interesting for me to learn how bananas are grown and how fighting plant infections are extremely difficult. I am now my Grandson's personal banana expert.

Don't expect a great, personal revelation or resolution about the apparent conflict between Banana Republics and my Grandson's tummy. I don't have one. I am certain my Grandson would be fine enjoying local produce if bananas disappeared from our groceries. But, it is hard not to buy them when he reaches for them from his perch in the shopping cart. At the moment, I hope as consumers we can insist our businesses act more morally and ethically even while I understand with that hope I am slipping on a proverbial banana peel. With that hope I am essentially passing the buck directly into the pockets of Chiquita and Dole. ( )