Tobacco in History and Culture: An Encyclopedia (Scribner Turning Points Library) - Tapa dura

"The set is nicely laid out, with interesting sidebars and helpful explanations of terminology adjacent to related articles. There are also some 250 illustrations - graphs, charts, drawings and photographs. These include eight-page color inserts in each volume. Rounding out the work is a timeline and a detailed index."
-- "Catholic Library World" (March 2005)

The two volumes of Tobacco in History and Culture tell how a cured leaf which was burned and smoked among Native Americans became one of the most important commodities in the history of world trade and the source of one of the biggest public health concerns in modern history. Originally used by Native Americans for medicinal, religious, and social purposes, tobacco became the biggest export from the American colonies. By the mid-1990s more than 14 billion pounds of tobacco leaf were grown worldwide each year. International treaties govern its advertising and distribution. It has affected agriculture, religion, social customs, business and trade, government policy, and medicine in many countries. This unique and innovative reference work contains entries on all aspects of tobacco and from a global perspective.