In 1966, drought and an exploding population confronted India with the imminent threat of a severe famine—a potential disaster that many saw as a warning of global catastrophes to come, as the world’s population outstripped its ability to produce food. In search of a lasting solution, India turned to Norman Borlaug, an unassuming plant breeder from Iowa whose combination of scientific knowledge and raw determination had led him to create a high-yield, fungus-resistant, any-season, all-purpose variety of wheat that could revolutionize a country’s food production. The Man Who Tried to Feed the World recounts the story of the man who would not only solve India’s famine problem but would go on to lead a “Green Revolution” of worldwide agriculture programs estimated to have saved one billion lives and win the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work.