Almost unknown in North America before the 1870s, bananas quickly became a popular fruit with a rocky history. Colorful photographs and maps help explain who grows your bananas, how they are harvested, and why the banana may soon become extinct. Other topics include

- What is a commodity?

- the spread of bananas through trade routes

- where and how bananas are grown

- the growth of the banana plantations and banana republics

- technical and genetic changes to the banana

- environmental issues such as land use and pesticides