Ginkgo

DIVPerhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years. A living link to the age of dinosaurs, it survived the great ice ages as a relic in China, but it earned its reprieve when people first found it useful about a thousand years ago. Today ginkgo is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. This engaging book tells the full and fascinating story of a tree that people saved from extinction—a story that offers hope for other botanical biographies that are still being written./divDIV /divDIVInspired by the historic ginkgo that has thrived in London’s Kew Gardens since the 1760s, renowned botanist Peter Crane explores the evolutionary history of the species from its mysterious origin through its proliferation, drastic decline, and ultimate resurgence. Crane also highlights the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the world’s most popular street trees. Readers of this extraordinarily interesting book will be drawn to the nearest ginkgo, where they can experience firsthand the timeless beauty of the oldest tree on Earth./div

A present and up-to-date overview of this particular genus, the contents of this volume include a history of its use, biotechnology, extraction of ginkgo leaves and extensive coverage of the ginkolides; their discovery, biosynthesis, chemical analysis, clinical use and pharmacological activity. Other important constituents are also given attention.

Life in the park is colourful, full of flowers, happy animals and children. And there is also friendly Mr Ginkgo with a loftycrown of leaves which provides shelter from the sun on hot summer days. But why does he forget the names of his friendsin autumn? Why does he remember them again in spring? This playful story about a Ginkgo biloba tree and its effects onthe human body will quickly become a kids' favourite. You'd better start reading it before you forget.

The use of medicinal plants or natural products increased in the last decades all over the world. One of the most popular herbal plants is Ginkgo biloba L. because of its widespread healing effects. Ginkgo has been used by the traditional medicine for thousands of years. It has been a sacred tree, a symbol of yin and yang, of longevity and vitality. The Chinese had begun their medicinal use of the tree with the seeds, but they soon added the leaves and even the roots to their list of valuable medicinal materials. Ginkgo biloba has been thoroughly investigated for its constituents, and a whole array of compounds has been described. Chapter One in this book presents the basic biological description, phylogeographic history, and the ecological characteristics of Ginkgo biloba. Chapter Two studies the elemental composition of Ginkgo biloba L. leaves. Chapter Three discusses different ginkgo preparations. Chapter Four presents the results of a screening of different crude extracts, infusions and standardised extract from the Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) leaves for total phenolic content, concentration of flavonoids and in vitro antioxidant activity.

Information on how this herb can promote better short-term memory, slow the aging process, improve circulation, and assist in proper immune function.

In the months following the September 11 attacks, world leaders began a flurry of attempts to muzzle the press. Some governments prevented journalists from covering anti-US demonstrations or criticizing US policies. Others opportunistically adopted the rhetoric of the war on terrorism to justify repressive measures against the media. Still other leaders took a cue from the tactics used by the US military in Afghanistan to keep the press away from the battlefield.

In 1815, Goethe gave symbolic expression to his intense relationship with Marianne Willemer, a recently married woman thirty-five years his junior. He gave her a leaf from the ginkgo tree, explaining that, like its deeply cleft yet still whole leaf, he was "single yet twofold." Although it is not known if their relationship was ever consummated, they did exchange love poetry, and Goethe published several of Marianne's poems in his West-East Divan without crediting her authorship. In this beautiful little book, renowned Goethe scholar Siegfried Unseld considers what this episode means to our estimation of a writer many consider nearly godlike in stature. Unseld begins by exploring the botanical and medical lore of the ginkgo, including the use of its nut as an aphrodisiac and anti-aging serum. He then delves into Goethe's writings for the light they shed on his relationship with Marianne. Unseld reveals Goethe as a great yet human being, subject, as any other man, to the vagaries of passion.

Presents the life story of a ginkgo tree, from its origin and proliferation to its decline and resurgence, highlighting the tree's cultural and social significance, medicinal uses, and role as a source of religious and artistic inspiration.