Incredibly, at key moments in history, the fate of mankind was determined not by kings or generals, but by ordinary beans. Even the Italian writer Umberto Eco claimed that it was beans that saved our civilization. The extraordinarily inquisitive journalist Yoel Brookart plunged into the topic with his head and collected in this book the most interesting and humorous stories about how peas are connected with the Neolithic revolution, why chickpeas were at the center of the postcolonial conflict, and beans turned into a symbol of the struggle for freedom and equality. "A brief history of the world in 12 beans" will show that beans nourish not only the body, but also the spirit!The oldest known bean recipe is found in an Akkadian text from 1600 BC, which describes a dish made from lentils: a kind of porridge made from ground grains brewed in beer, in which aromatic wood was soaked. Served with meat. For those who like history books, books about food, entertaining facts, and humor. For those who are looking for a funny book. Also as a gift, because the book is beautiful and illustrated. I am pleased to think that the bottle of Kikkoman sauce in my kitchen is associated with John Locke and Dutch merchants, Chinese Buddhists and Arab caravans.