The book starts, appropriately, with the capture of carbon from the atmosphere. Photosynthesis is obviously the basis of life on earth, and some of the most brilliant plant scientists have made it their life’s work. As a result, we know more about the molecular biophysics and biochemistry of photosynthesis than we do about any other plant process. The influence of virtually every environmental variable on the physiology of photosynthesis and its regulation has been studied. Photosynthesis, however, occurs in an environment over which the individual plant has little control. In broad terms, a plant must cope with the range of temperature, rainfall, light intensity, and CO2 concentration to which its habitat is subjected. It cannot change these things. It must rely on its flexible physiological response to mitigate the effects of the environment. At a later stage in the book, the focus shifts below ground, where the plant has rather more control over its options for capturing resources. It may alter the environment around its roots in order to improve the nutrient supply. It may benefit from microbial assistance in mobilizing resources or enter into more formal contracts with soil fungi and nodule-forming bacteria to acquire nutrient resources that would otherwise be unavailable or beyond its reach.