I am the general editor for COMMODITIES, CULTURE, AND HISTORY: THE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD, to be published by Facts on File in late 2010. This two volume work will contain approximately 500,000 words in about 125 articles, each from 2000 to 7,000 words long. Most entries have already been assigned, but I am still seeking authors for the following commodities:

Anchovies
Ceramics
Copper
Diamonds
Dynamite
Electronics
Fertilizer
Fruit
Granite
Hardwoods
Horses
Indigo
Ivory
Jade
Jute
Kerosene
Marble
Natural Gas
Olive Oil
Pearls
Pork
Shellfish
Tulips
Trains
Water

The purpose of this project is to bring together the origins, uses, trade routes, and impact of every major commodity in world history, for in spite of the vital importance of commodities in the rise of civilization and human development, there is no authoritative work that brings all of them together in one accessible reference source. This reference will combine social, economic, political, business, environmental, and cultural history in a rich resource for scholars, college and university students, advance-placement and standard-level high school students, and general readers interested in a variety of fields and disciplines. The goal of the reference is to show how major products and commodities have transformed history, civilization and everyday life. Contributors will receive a modest honorarium for their contributions.

If you are interested in writing one of the above-referenced entries, please contact me at streetsh@wsu.edu with your questions and qualifications.

Sincerely,
Heather Streets-Salter
Editor, Commodities, Culture, and History: The Products That Changed the World
Associate Professor, Washington State University