Perkins explores why four countries each sought to develop high yielding wheat production. National security concerns and management of foreign exchange were prime motivators of the new technologies, a relationship that has not been previously developed in studies of agricultural modernization.

Controlling the Earth explores why four different countries (U.S., India, Britain, and Mexico) each sought to develop high yielding wheat production. National security concerns and management of foreign exhange were prime motivators of the new technologies, a relationship that has not been previously developed in studies of agricultural modernization. Furture reform efforts in agriculture will be affected by this history.

'...an important book on the development of wheat breeding in the United States, Great Britain, India and Mexico during the 20th century...The book's strength is its descriptive power, especially in intellectual hisotr...Throughout, Perkins provides his readers with an excellent introduction to a variety of complex topics...'