Those looking for a fact-laden ride through the avocado’s nomenclature and geographical history will be delighted by this work ... Readers interested in this type of agricultural history will surely dog-ear pages of this biography of one of the most ubiquitous fruits consumed in the country today.
Trenchant ... Enlightening ... The standout among an overflowing cast of characters is Wilson Popenoe (1892-1975), the first and perhaps most influential world expert on Persea americana ... Green Gold is a labor of love but not a triumph of clear organization. Sheer enrapturement with their subject often leads Mss. Allaback and Parsons into digression, repetition or both. On the other hand, they deliver the goods, and then some. They have dug deep to produce a solid, minutely documented, multifaceted and challenging work that amply rewards close reading and rereading. For years to come it’s likely to be the go-to source for both scholars and lay readers seriously interested in exploring root, branch, blossom and fruit of the avocado story.
A comprehensive history ... The narrative sometimes gets mired in painstaking details about avocado associations and international avocado-finding expeditions; it’s at its best when the authors focus on the more digestible evolution of how the fruit was marketed to American consumers ... Readers may find this a bit too much to chew on, but there are some appetizing morsels.
