No comments about Molecular Biology of the Tomato: Fundamental Advances and Crop Improvements.

No comments about Compendium of Tomato Diseases (APS Disease Compendium Series) (Aps Disease Compendium Series).

1 comments about All About Tomatoes.

1. The big problem with this book (apart, of course, from it being out of print) is the fact that the listing of varieties that makes up the heart of the book is twenty-five years out of date. The old standbys like Big Boy and San Marzano are there, but very little attention is paid to heirloom varieties. The copyright being 1981, this is somewhat understandable, but let's be honest: tomatoes are the single most popular garden vegetable out there, and for this book not to have been updated in 25 years seems very wrong somehow.
   
   That said, the book does have its upsides that make it worth seeking out. There is a short discussion of tomato genetics, and the planting advice really hasn't changed that much in 25 years -- the same basic technology such as Jiffy pellets and wire cages are still the same as they were when the book was published, and the plant breeding information goes back centuries. It's a good book to have for a conventional gardener or a tomato aficionado; it even has some recipes in the back.
   
   If this book were updated today, in addition to listings for heirloom and foreign varieties that are now widely available in the United States, some discussion of organic and possibly hydroponic gardening would seem to be necessary. Overall it's not a bad book, just very dated.

No comments about Growing Tomatoes: The Kitchen Garden.

No comments about 52 Great Green Tomato Recipes!.

3 comments about You Bet Your Tomatoes: Fun Facts, Tall Tales, and a Handful of Useful Gardening Tips.

1. If you want to read a funny book on how to grow beautiful tomatoes, then You Bet Your Tomatoes is right up your alley. Mike
   McGrath (NPR host of the gardening radio show, "You Bet Your Tomatoes") not only shows you quick ways to keep your tomato plants happy and thriving, but he tells some funny stories and bizarre factoids along the way. In fact, I why wonder this book isn't also sold in the humor section at the bookstore?



2. You Bet Your Tomatoes! by Mike McGrath is the only how-to grow-tons-of-quality-tomatoes one will ever need. It is the only 'mater book I have and my 'maters are the envy of the neighborhood -- Not bad, since I've only been gardening for a couple of years, as a hobby.
   
   McGrath starts off with a basic question: Why am I Doing This Instead of Enjoying my Summer??? then proceeds to give the reader plenty of logical reasons like "Tomatoes are easier to grow than watermelons..." and "Most other summer endeavors have a much higher risk of death and/or dismemberment." Yes, the god of all-things-humorous seems to reign in this book!
   
   Chapter 1 -- Picking Your Tomatoes (Do all these things have funny, rude, or mysterious names?)
   this chapter contains the names of all the top tomatoes, Determinate or Indeterminate, Hybrid or Open-Pollinated, Days to Maturity, Comments. A must-have reference!
   Chapter 2 -- The Joy of Germination (Or, Killing your own tomatoes from seed)
   Chapter 3 - The Art of Tomato Planting (You want me to BURY them? You MONSTER!!)
   Chapter 4 - Staking and Caging (No, not "or," "AND!" Got it?! "Staking AND Caging"!!!)
   
   The little drawings of all the 'mater-babies are absolutely precious! My favorite is the 'mater-baby sitting in a stroller with a pacifier in its mouth.
   
   Chapter 5 - Food, Water and Basic Keeping-Alive Skills (Ooops---you mean I shouldn't have watered them each and every day?)
   Chapter 6 - Pest Control... (Am I the only creature around here NOT eating my tomatoes???)
   Chapter 7 - Dealing with Disease (Can't we just take them to the hospital?)
   
   Did I mention all that neighbor-envy your are going to bask in -- growing those big, beautiful 'maters. Better than sunshine, to be sure. :) --Katharena Eiermann, 2005, the Realm of Existentialism -- Presidential Hopeful



3. I really did not like this book. I didn't learn any useful tips. The writer mainly talks about his experiences in tomato growing but doesn't really offer any useful info.

4 comments about First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Foods.

1. First Fruit provides an interesting, quick read of a Califonia company's effort to develop and sell the Flavr Savr tomato - the first gentically engineered, but not the last, whole food. Written by a Flavr Savr researcher, the book highlights the internal clash between business executives seeking immediate financial returns and scientists charged with coming up with a high-tech tomato that genetic science had not yet produced for general salad consumption. The book's middle-third is a little too technical if you never managed better than a C+ in chemisty or biology, but the insider's view of the struggle to get the new tomato to market and her responsible conclusions make this book a must read for anyone interested in the emerging global role of biotechnology.



2. First Fruit presents the story of Calgene's development of the Flavr Savr tomato, the world's first bioengineered food. The book provides interesting insights on many aspects of the project. Calgene and its investors poured more than $200 million into what turned out to be a flawed hypothesis - that Calgene's scientists could produce a firm, great tasting tomato capable of withstanding the rigors of transportation from the fields to supermarkets at a commercially viable price. First Fruit is very well written and conveys its subject matter in a reader-friendly conversational style that those of us without Ph.D.'s can understand.

   The book recounts the emotional roller coaster ride inside Calgene as project scientists encountered a seemingly endless string of scientific, regulatory, and legal obstacles. The strain brought out admirable qualities in some people and questionable conduct in others. One highlight is Dr. Martineau's description of her own "inquisition," where she unsuspectingly walked into what had been billed as a staff meeting only to be confronted by seven "true believers" who proceeded to berate her for what they perceived to be her lack of loyalty to the cause. Then there is the story of the arrival of the first truckload of Flavr Savr tomatoes. Numerous Calgene officers and directors traveled to Chicago, hoping to see proof that their miracle fruit had solved the transportation problems that had plagued the industry. Instead, they were greeted by the spectacle of tomato puree leaking from the truck. Not one tomato had survived the trip. One employee repeatedly intoned, presciently, "It's over, it's all over."

   First Fruit concludes with a thought provoking discussion of Flavr Savr's impact on the Food and Drug Administration's scrutiny of genetically engineered plant applications. Dr. Martineau relates how the relatively minor genetic engineering involved, together with the apparent absence of any negative side effects, may have lulled the FDA into a false sense of security. Given recent news accounts, such as those of the widespread contamination of numerous corn products with StarLink genetically engineered corn not approved for human consumption, this discussion may be the most important in the book.




3. As the mother of three young children, I found First Fruit accessible, reassuring and empowering. I'm concerned about the food that my family eats. Is it healthy, pure and wholesome? How do I make good decisions about food for my family? Enter First Fruit. It reads like a novel, fast-paced and enthralling. In the midst of this most important and well-written story, Belinda Martineau delivers information that helps me to break out of my confusion, fears and ignorance about biotech food. She thoroughly and respectfully covers the science and history of this monumental venture. She humanizes it by bringing the players involved to life - warts and all. As the book draws to its conclusion, after many hilarious, infuriating, egomaniac, frustrating, cruel, brilliant, and optimistic moments told, my concerns for my family come full circle. What is healthy, pure and wholesome for our world? How do we, or should we, as industries, governments, academics, NGO's and the general public make good decisions about food for our world? With a fabulous birth metaphor and without an alarmist tone, Belinda Martineau points us all in the right direction.



4. This book have some very interesting perspectives:

   1) The book is an insiders view on the development of the biotechnologies presented in a non-glamourous style

   2) The book is a witness that standard strategic thinking has it limits when it come to explain the nature of biotechnology development. Also the book's description of how the development of the Flavr Savr tomato was approved and how this became a FDA standard is very interesting reading to people who think of public regulatory work as totally independent of corporate interests.

   The book is much more intense than Kidder's book: The Soul of the New Machine and that says something of the quality of Martineau's book.

2 comments about 100 Pounds of Tomatoes Out of an Inexpensive Foam Box.

1. The book was very easy to follow. Step-by-step information enabled me to produce many pounds of beautiful tomatoes.



2. If u can afford to buy 2 books get this one and his earlier. If not just get this book. Although it is not written and organized as well as 1st if u follow his instructions u will be loaded w/ tastey Tomatoes. I also Recommend Gary Isben's book "the Great Tomato book." He will teach you which ones to grow. I also recommend to forget Leo's tomato reccomendation and use Gary's guide. Better tomatoes better flavor. If u can't Afford Gary's book then look to add a trowel full of AZOMITE to your soil to add the trace minerals that make your tomatoes better tasting. Hard to find but if u look you'll find it.

No comments about Tomatoes (Crop Production Science in Horticulture).

1 comments about Terrific Tomatoes (A Garden Style Book).

1. "Terrific Tomatoes" is attractive and easy-to-follow. It begins with general growing advice and moves on to specifics such as container gardening - for color, with herbs, in hanging baskets.
   
   "In the Garden" Luebbermann reviews techniques and varieties for a "really early" patch, an Italian tomato garden, a riot of colors. Another section is devoted to exotics, from tomatillos to ground cherries to heirlooms. And she concludes with tomatoes in the kitchen, from soup to sun-dried to salsa. Photos by Faith Echtermeyer are lush and crisp and show the plants as they really are - complete with insect holes and spots.