Even if your only relationship with a banana is on your breakfast cereal, you will be amazed at what you never knew about this diverse and mysterious tropical mainstay. Thanks to a couple of dedicated plant detectives, who scoured the planet in a quest to find the missing links of Hawai`i’s banana gene pool, the unknown evolution of this ancient trans-Pacific food source can now be illuminated. The side story here - the need to preserve remaining ecosystems where the oldest natural varieties of bananas still exist - is one more testament to the dedication and scholarship that makes this book a fascinating read. Lucienne de Naie, Conservation Chair, Sierra Club Maui