Book of the Week: Calling All Chocolate Lovers

To all you chocolate lovers out there: one of the featured species on EOL this week was Theobroma cacao, better known as Cacao, from whence chocolate is created. So, in the spirit of collaboration, and with a desire to feature something as deliciously addictive as chocolate, we thought we’d pull some inspiration from this featured botanical delight and showcase Theobroma cacao in this week’s book of the week. So, check out To the River Plate and back : the narrative of a scientific mission to South America, with observations upon things seen and suggested (1913), by W.J. Holland. This work features eight color plates and seventy-eight other drawings taken from the author’s trip to the “Silver River” in South America. As the author so clearly outlines in his preface, this narrative is “the record of a pleasant journey, during which I saw much and learned much which was of interest to me and may also be of interest to my readers.” And the pilgrimmage must indeed have been pleasant, because W.J. Holland encountered Theobroma cacao, a chief export of Trinidad, along the way!

Check out Theobroma cacao on EOL!

This week’s book of the week, To the River Plate and back : the narrative of a scientific mission to South America, with observations upon things seen and suggested (1913), by W.J. Holland, was contributed by The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden.