The Big Book of Buds: Marijuana Varieties from the World's Great Seed Breeders by Ed Rosenthal

Marijuana Steps Out of the Closet,The Big Book of Buds Celebrates Pot?s Varieties and the Faces and Places that Make them Happen

Top breeders of the world?s most popular and profitable illicit crop come out of the closet to display their most prized creations in The Big Book of Buds: Marijuana Varieties from the World's Great Seed Breeders (Quick American Archives, Oakland, CA). Both a gardener?s delight and a gourmet guide, The Big Book of Buds tantalizes with sumptuous color photos and engaging descriptions of 100 prime marijuana varieties from around the world.

These days, chocolate lovers choose confections based on their percentage of cacao, and coffee drinkers select beans based on their country of origin. Likewise, today?s cannabis consumer has developed a discriminating palate, and breeders worldwide have more than met the demand. As author Michael Pollan notes in his best-selling book The Botany of Desire, ?Advances in cannabis breeding [have made] it possible to develop strains eliciting distinctly different mental effects. At the top end of the market this has led to a connoisseurship of cannabis--not just of its taste or aroma, but of the specific psychological texture of its high.?

Which varieties of marijuana can be characterized as cerebral, cheerful, euphoric, giggly, mellow, stoney or trippy? Which ones taste and smell like bubblegum, berry, citrus, chocolate, mango or pepper? What are the advantages of differing blends of sativa and indica strains?

The Big Book of Buds answers all those questions, and more. Helpful garden-book-style icons summarize each variety?s origins, days to flower and expected yields. Reports from Holland, Canada, Jamaica, Nepal and Southeast Asia will transport travelers and history buffs high and wide. Finally, helpful appendices and resources will prove indispensable for fans of all levels.

An estimated 70 million Americans have smoked cannabis, a plant with a bountiful history as a medicine, spiritual aid and intoxicant, as well as a source of food and fiber. Fine marijuana costs more than gold, and breeding competitions such as Amsterdam?s Cannabis Cup draw thousands of devotees every year. Marijuana enthusiasts are as varied as the plant itself, including such notable personalities as Queen Victoria, Rabelais, Bing Crosby, Carl Sagan, Jennifer Aniston, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Big Book of Buds serves up a tasty sampling of the global marijuana scene. Indulge today.