Incluye bibliografía: páginas 164-177 e índice: páginas 178-184

1 The Nature of Cultivated Plants.. 2 The Origins of Agriculture.. 3 The Study of Crop Plant Evolution and Dispersal.. 4 The Evidence of Crop Plant Diversity.. 5 The Value of Diversity to the Breeder.. 6 The Exploration and Storage of Crop Plant Diversity.. 7 Global Strategies for Conserving and Utilizing the Genetic Heritage of Plants.. Appendix: IBPGR Revised Priorities for Crops and Regions .. Abbreviations of Organizations.. References.. Index

“This beautiful and valuable book eloquently documents the thoughts and the lifetime work of a brilliant scientist and records for posterity the development of Mangelsdorf's thinking about the origin and evolution of maize.” — American Scientist. "Contributes significantly in many ways to our knowledge of the origin and evolution of maize (Zea mays L.), its races, distribution, genetics, cytology, archeology, uses, and improvement. "Anyone interested in man's little-heralded but enormously significant revolution, the origin and growth of agriculture... cannot fail to be deeply interested in all parts of Mangelsdorf's absorbing, and... authoritative, saga on corn." — Quarterly Review of Biology. "An admirable summary of what is known about the evolution of one of our most important cultivated plants. It is written in lucid- and lively language and will leave no doubt in the mind of the reader about the position of the author on a number of controver¬sial topics. "All students of maize, regardless of their specialty, will find in it much of interest. It should also interest enthnobotanists, eco¬nomic botanists, and students concerned in any way with the evolution of cultivated plants." — Science. Inglés