Common Theme and Community Read
2009-10 Selected Book
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World
The book chronicles the fruit’s history, from early cultivation to modern popularization,
and suggests ways to save it from extinction. Koeppel has written for magazines including
the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Audubon, Popular Science, and National Geographic Adventure. He is also the author of To See Every Bird on Earth (2005).
Why read about bananas? Read Koeppel’s opinion article in The New York Times, “Yes, We Will Have No Bananas” and visit his blog at bananabook.org to find out more about the issues involved in growing and distributing the most popular
fruit in America.