Woods, Michael. Agriculture Through the Ages: From Silk to Supermarkets. Addl. Creators Mary B. Woods. Technology Through the Ages. Twenty-First Century, 01/2024. 80pp. Nonfiction. PLB $37.32. 979-8765610060. Paper $14.99. 979-8765625231. GRADES 6–12. ADDITIONAL.
In this four-part series, the development of agriculture, computing, machines, and medicine is described by focusing on how the ancient cultures of the Middle East, Egypt, China, the Americas, Greece, and Rome (but not Africa) established principles of the subject. For example, around 3000 BCE, the Egyptians invented a way to measure flooding using a nilometer, and in 2700 BCE silkworms began to be cultivated to make silk. The writing is serviceable but formulaic, and only occasionally mentions newer aspects that grew out of the ancient inventions, so the “through the ages” subheading is a misnomer. The series is helped by the abundance of color photos, art reproductions, sidebars, and page decorations, but a map would have been helpful. Each volume ends with a glossary, timeline, bibliography, a few source notes, and a limited index. Libraries may want to acquire if the subject is in demand by students writing reports.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool