Alfred W. Crosby. The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. London, Praeger, 2003.

"The best thing about this book is its overarching thesis, the concept of a Columbian exchange. This provocative device permits Crosby to shape a lot of familiar and seemingly unrelated data into a fresh synthesis. . . . The implications of this interplay between novel biological and social forces are fascinating." Journal of American History