"If there is a champion of agave today, someone who gathers all of its lore, its magic and its stories, Ana Valenzuela-Zapata is that person. Her affection for the agave brightens every page in this slim-but-rich book. It's both a personal telling of her lifelong relations with the plant - her passion and her fascination - and a scientific/cultural treatise. It's a very personal book, but at the same time it soars over the cultural and geographic landscape, covering the rich history of the agave and its role in tequila production. Microcosm and macrocosm. You'll learn about production, farming, cultivation, Mexican politics and history... it's beautifully, even poetically written, and enjoyable throughout. This book deserves to be in the library of every tequila aficionado. This is my favourite book on tequila because it covers so much in such a small space." Ian ChadwickAna Valenzuela received in 2007 an award in Mexico: Reconocimiento a la Conservacion de la Naturaleza. She studied 15 years the agaves used for Tequila and promoted their conservation. She is doing in Europe a postodctoral research in agaves (tequila, mezcal, fibres) and Geographical Indications and biodiversity. She has been exploring a line research in other traditional spirits and their biodiversity and doing taster's expert (Concours Mondial de Vins de Bruxelles, 2007).