Why does all this matter? It's all about evolution. The banana we eat is the Cavendish. It was selected as the main banana, because of its size, durability, and taste. It does taste good doesn't it. Oh yeah, there's another reason the cavendish was chosen, it was found to be resistant to Panama Disease. Panama Disease is a soil borne fungus that attacks the root of the banana tree, eventually causing the leaves to collapse. The tree ultimately dies. The disease was discovered in 1876, which is also about the time the banana began to make its way into american markets. The banana sold at that time was called the Gros Michel (aka the Big Mike).
Unfortunately, the Gros Michel was susceptible to Panama Disease. It took 100 years before the Gros Michel was phased out of the market and replaced by the cavendish. The Gros Michel had been the perfect banana. It was sweeter than the cavendish, plus it was more durable. No special transport needs were necessary, other than refrigeration. The switch to the cavendish required the invention of the banana box. As stated above, the cavendish was chosen because it was resistant to Panama Disease and of the other varieties, it most closely met the best attributes of the Gros Michel.
The problem now is the cavendish has lost its resistance to Panama Disease. Because each banana is a clone of every other banana. Panama Disease evolved, while the cavendish remained the same. Panama Disease is not the only disease set to ravage the banana crops. Fortunately at this time, the diseases are confined to Asia, but with today's mobility it's unlikely it will stay that way.
That's the chief take away from the book. The author, Dan Koeppel also spends considerable amount of time showing the destruction in Central and South America. Not just the physical destruction, most of it to combat Panama Disease. Most significant came in the political involvement from the US. Few were left untouched by the hand of the US government and the banana companies efforts to abuse the political powers in the region. We are still living with the effects of the pursuit of banana profits. Some things have changed, but not much.
The book is entertaining and pretty informative. I've read some of Koeppel's other work when he's written for Mountain Bike magazine. He's got a good sense of narrative and it comes across in the reading. I don't think the book is for everybody, but I think that what is discussed in the book is important. The banana industry is an example of conformity causing problems. Because everything is the same, it more susceptible to disease and other problems. Thus is the world in which we live. I only wish there had been more pictures showing examples of the diseases and the major players in the banana industry.