Local teacher, scholar and activist Natalie Morris’s book Beans: A Global History (Reaktion, 2020, distributed by University of Chicago Press) debuts on April 13. Morris packs 9,000 years of bean botany, culture and lore into this slim colorful volume. From the legume’s role as a dietary staple, to its depiction in art, to the future of the bean, this wide-ranging book is filled with plenty of bean anecdotes. Look closely and you’ll recognize many of the local chefs and food writers who’ve contributed to the modern recipes section of the book.