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breathtaking […] I was totally hooked from the very first page
Weanée Kimblewood, Lab Times

a rare insight into a fascinating and mysterious world.
Paul Eccleston, The Daily Telegraph

truly spectacular
Powell Ettinger, Wildlife Extra

simply marvellous [... with] factual gems
Jane Meredith, Newbury Weekly News

a fascinating and beautifully photographed global journey among the strange and exotic
David Bradley, ScienceBase, SciScoop.com

I would give Fruit: Edible, Inedible, Incredible 10+ stars if possible. The pictures are captivating and the text enlightening. This is now the prize book in my gardening collection. It should be in yours, too
Vanessa Richins, About.com

Fruit. The word conjures up mouthwatering memories of crunchy apples, luscious strawberries, sweet bananas, succulent melons and juicy pineapples. The well-travelled will also recall the splendid cornucopia of tropical fruits that thrive in the warmer climes of our planet and have now conquered supermarket shelves all over the world. A wonderful gift from nature indeed but providing us with an abundant source of food is not the main reason that plants produce such delicious fruits. We all know that many fruits are not edible and that some are even poisonous. It is therefore quite legitimate to ask what fruits are and why they exist.

As will be revealed, fruits are part of a much more elaborate plot. Their true nature is concealed in what is buried in their core: their seeds. Seeds are the most sophisticated and precious organs produced by plants in that they bear the next generation. Fruits and seeds together are responsible for the successful reproduction and dispersal of the species. The key role that fruits and seeds play in the survival of each species explains the manifold dispersal strategies that plants have developed during the course of their evolution. The strategies they pursue, whether they involve wind, water, humans and animals or the plant's own explosive triggers, are reflected in a plethora of different colours, sizes and shapes. Some are edible, some inedible, and many quite incredible!

• Winner of Gourmand Awards 2008 - Special Award of the Jury

About the Authors:
Wolfgang Stuppy is the seed morphologist for the Millennium Seed Bank Project at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. At the heart of this large international project, which collects and stores seeds and fruits from all over the world, Dr. Stuppy has found the ideal environment to feed his passion for research into the astonishing diversity of seeds and fruits.

Rob Kesseler is a professor at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. He has a long career of working with plants as a source of inspiration for his work. In 2001 he was appointed NESTA Fellow at Kew, where he has since been working with microscopic plant material. His work has been shown in museums and galleries in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Press:
The Daily Telegraph click here
BBC News click here
The Guardian click here

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