A. W Livingston (1821-98) was a Reynoldsburg, Ohio, tomato seedsman who was the best known developer of tomato varieties in the United States in the nineteenth century. First published in 1893, Livingston and the Tomato contains both descriptions and drawings of the tomato varieties he developed. The book features over sixty tomato recipes, including ones for slicing, frying, escalloping, baking, and broiling tomatoes; as well as for tomato toast, custard, soup, pie, preserves, figs, jam, butter, salad, sauce, and omelets.

Livingston's pioneering work; his entrepreneurial sons, who transformed his efforts into a successful business concern; the application of scientific principles to agricultural practices; and the tremendous growth of the canning and preserving industries are all reflections of the spirit of Ohio and America on the cusp of the twentieth century.