Kings blues, and controversies over bioengineering, among other topics. Big cotton hardcover dec 23 2004 by stephen yafa author 3. Ranging from its domestication 5,500 years ago to its influence in creating calvin kleins empire and the gap, stephen yafas cotton gives us an intimate. Jul 02, 2015 the zeal of this evangelism threatens to squelch any unorthodox viewpoint, yet stephen yafa manages to present some calm and refreshing insights amid the firestorm. Sven beckerts new book, empire of cotton appears to track the same path as did stephen yafas book, big cotton. Linkedin is the worlds largest business network, helping professionals like stephen yafa discover inside connections to recommended job. Cotton by stephen yafa, 9780143037224, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Cotton production is an important economic factor in the united states as the country leads, worldwide, in cotton exportation. Stephen h yafa big cotton traces the cultural, economic, and social history of the worlds friendliest fiber from the kingdoms of mesopotamia to the gap. At any given time everyone on earth is wearing or using something made with cotton. Ranging from its domestication 5,500 years ago to its influence in creating calvin kleins empire and.
The author covers the vast ground of the subject by combining significant episodes in the shifting production and use of cotton over the last few centuries with biographical sketches inventors, factory owners, mill girls etc. From the exploitations of christopher columbus to impoverished cotton farmers in mali, yafa helps readers understand the significance of cotton in the past, present, and future. Cotton has touched off wars and revolutions, inspired astonishing inventions, laid waste to entire ecosystems, and enslaved untold millions of people. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations and put america on the map stephen yafa, author. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map by stephen h. Yafa, novelist, screenplay writer, and california wine grower, is also the author of cotton, his first nonfiction investigative work, and writes about wine for the san francisco.
Yafa cowrote the screenplay for the 1971 film, summertree, with edward hume, based on the successful ron cowen play. Alexander the great carried cotton cloth on his back from india to europe. The biography of a revolutionary fiber, on librarything librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers home groups talk zeitgeist. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map stephen yafa on. The biography of a revolutionary fiber author stephen yafa explores the extraordinary range of imagination and ingenuity required to convert a fluffy mass of fiber into a substance of unbelievable versatility. In america, cotton towns were at first more benign than the british, and, eventually, mill workers opposition to southern slave labor led to the work being handed to immigrants. The biography of a revolutionary fiber stephen yafa on. While megasellers like grain brain and wheat belly suggest that wheat may be the new asbestos, stephen yafa finds that it has been wrongly demonized.
The common thread in all this pardon the pun is cottons extraordinary range of practical use. Ranging from its domestication 5,500 years ago to its influence in creating calvin kleins empire and the gap, stephen yafas cotton gives us an intimate look at the plant that fooled columbus into thinking hed reached india, that helped start the industrial revolution as well as the american civil war, and that made at least one bugthe boll. He has written for playboy, details, and rolling stone, and lives in mill valley, california. Domesticated simultaneously in peru and pakistan some 5,500 years ago, later a prime motive for the colonization of the new world, as yafa shows, cottons most profound impact came. Now stephen yafa delves deep into the past to tell the amazing story of this humble, infinitely adaptable fiber that hasagain and againreinvented our world.
No topic in nutrition is more controversial than wheat. Published june 27th 2006 by penguin books first published december 29th. Ranging from its domestication 5,500 years ago to its influence in creating calvin kleins empire and the gap, stephen yafas cotton gives us an intimate look at the plant that. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map, published by. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map by stephen yafa viking. The biography of a revolutionary fiber by penguin in 2006. Big cotton by stephen yafa a novel that discusses how the cultivation and production of cotton profoundly helped shape human history and impacts the way we live. In the spirit of recent books like salt and coal, a novelist and playwright, yafa examines world history through the prism of a tiny little fiber called cotton. Stephen yafa, novelist, playwright and screenwriter, grew up in lowell, mass.
Authors stephen yafa and patricia rain talked about their books and. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map, published by viking. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map has 1 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. He touches on everything from science and economics to race and popular culture, painting nuanced portraits of cottons farreaching effects on the english mill system, b.
Mar 27, 2005 stephen yafa talked about his book big cotton. Web resources you are leaving the national park service website when you click on the following links. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. In the tradition of mark kurlanskys cod and salt, this endlessly revealing book reminds us that the fiber we think of as ordinary is the worlds most. His book big cotton explains how a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map.
The biography of a revolutionary fiber by stephen yafa 2006 1. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map. This type of cotton needs a long growing season of approximately 250 days. Jan 02, 2005 such exceptional details abound in big cotton, stephen yafa s firstrate history of the humble fiber. The zeal of this evangelism threatens to squelch any unorthodox viewpoint, yet stephen yafa manages to present some calm and refreshing insights amid the firestorm. Yafa begins big cotton with a discussion of the early origins and spread of the cotton plant in ancient human history. Planters improved upon seed received from the west indies. The end of slavery radically transformed the southern cotton industry, a trend accelerated by the arrival of the boll weevil, from mexico, in the 1920s. What is the most important or memorable thing you will take away from having read this book. Jun 27, 2006 cotton by stephen yafa, 9780143037224, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Cotton the biography of a revolutionary fiber yafa cotton the biography of a revolutionary fiber yafa stephen on free shipping on qualifying offers in the tradition of mark kurlanskys cod and salt this endlessly revealing book reminds us that the fiber we think of as ordinary is the worlds most powerful cash crop. Ranging from its domestication 5,500 years ago to its influence in creating calvin kleins empire and the gap, stephen yafa s cotton gives us an intimate look at the plant that fooled columbus into thinking hed reached india, that helped start the industrial revolution as well as the american civil war, and that made at least one bugthe boll.
The rich reign of a white puff even before cotton was. The biography of a revolutionary fiber author stephen yafa. The biography of a revolutionary fiber, and grain of truth. The strongest sections of the book deal with the impact cotton had on the industrial revolution and the growth and development of the united states.
At some point today you and almost everyone else on earth. Stephen yafa san francisco bay area professional profile. In the tradition of mark kurlanskys cod and salt, this endlessly revealing book reminds us that the fiber we think of as ordinary is the worlds most powerful cash crop, and that it has shaped the destiny of nations. Feb 25, 2020 cotton the biography of a revolutionary fiber yafa cotton the biography of a revolutionary fiber yafa stephen on free shipping on qualifying offers in the tradition of mark kurlanskys cod and salt this endlessly revealing book reminds us that the fiber we think of as ordinary is the worlds most powerful cash crop. The biography of a revolutionary fiber stephen yafa. Such exceptional details abound in big cotton, stephen yafas firstrate history of the humble fiber. Stephen yafa in the book big cotton described sea island cotton as the cashmere of cotton. Cotton the biography of a revolutionary fiber book. Yafa is also known for his first nonfiction book, big cotton, published by viking in 2005, and republished as cotton. Stephen yafa, a novelist, playwright, and awardwinning screenwriter, has written for playboy, details, rolling stone, and the san francisco chronicle. The story of cotton, from the beginnings to its place in modern geopolitics. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Big cotton how a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map book. Stephen yafa is a screenwriter, playwright, and novelist who has written for publications including playboy, details, rolling store, and the san francisco chronicle.
Cotton was first domesticated about 5,500 years ago in asia, africa and south america. Yafas big cotton was named a san francisco chronicle best book of the year in 2005, saying yafa chronicles everything from the domestication of cotton 5,550 years ago in asia, africa and south america to the rise of denim, the most american of fabrics, and todays controversial bioengineering. The biography of a revolutionary fiber, is also a novelist, playwright, and awardwinning screenwriter. Stephen yafa books list of books by author stephen yafa. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations.
See all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. What do you think the authors goal was in writing this book. View stephen yafas professional profile on linkedin. This article is excerpted from his book big cotton, which will be published in january 2005 by viking. How a humble fiber created fortunes, wrecked civilizations, and put america on the map viking press, 2005. Almost all of the cotton fiber growth and production occurs in southern and western states, dominated by texas, california, arizona, mississippi, arkansas, and louisiana. See all books authored by stephen yafa, including cotton. Yafa a copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Authors stephen yafa and patricia rain talked about their books and read passages. His revealing book sets the record straight, breaking down the botany of the wheat plant weve hijacked. Big cotton book bellingham public library bibliocommons. The united states is ranked third in production, behind china and india. Why eating wheat can improve your health, and more on. Dec 29, 2004 this book is well written and aimed at a general audience.
Versatile author stephen yafa has written, produced and directed in a wide range of formats. The biography of a revolutionary fiber by stephen yafa. His book big cotton revisits his youth by viewing the history of the united states through the narrow but sharply focused lens of cotton. Discover book depositorys huge selection of stephen yafa books online. Publication date 2005 topics cotton manufacture, cotton textile industry, history publisher viking. The 500,000 fibers in every cotton boll, or pod, that are spun and woven or knit into fabric for home furnishings, linens, industrial coverings, and big cotton by stephen yafa comments,questions,paraphrasing.
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