Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification (Great Minds of Science) [Paperback]

Margaret J. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Great Minds of Science

Profiles the life of the eighteenth-century Swedish naturalist whose scientific naming of plants and animals provided an international language of nature.

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8. Well organized and clearly written, although at times stilted, this biography of the developer of binomial nomenclature for classifying plants and animals has easy-to-read, open pages with large print and wide margins. Black-and-white illustrations include portraits of the Linnaeus family and photographs of their homes and the universities in which this Swedish scientist taught and did his research. The narrative includes many anecdotes about his family and experiences with people who influenced his life and work. Much of the book is devoted to his many scientific expeditions collecting and studying plant and animal life and to his teaching career. Simple plant experiments and some examples of Linnaeus's classification system are included. This sound chronological study provides useful report material in a rather bland package.?Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

Budding scientists will surely draw inspiration from this biography of Linnaeus, whom Anderson dubs ``the greatest botanist of all time.'' Linnaeus and his world--18th-century Sweden--may seem far removed from most middle-graders' experiences, but Anderson creates a dramatic narrative fully capable of keeping readers enthralled. The elements of Linnaeus's life are used to maximum effect: At nine he was told that he was a hopeless student; as a young man, he perfected his own system of binomial nomenclature used to classify plant life. Throughout the story, Anderson shows how the personal side of Linnaeus's life affected his profession: Although he was beset by financial problems for years, he succeeded as an explorer and scientist, eventually achieving fame and wealth as a college professor with a family of his own. The portrait is accurately rendered, and although Linnaeus is imperfect by 20th-century standards--refusing to educate his daughters and remaining distant from his wife--Anderson finds in his life an upbeat story of a man achieving his dreams. (b&w illustrations, not seen, chronology, notes, further reading, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 11-13) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Enslow Publishers (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0766018679
• ISBN-13: 978-0766018679
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,151,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Swedish Botantist, February 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification (Great Minds of Science) (Library Binding)

I enjoyed reading about this Swedish botantist who worked out a system for classifying plants. I didn't realize that Linnaeus was also the one who came up with cultured pearls after watching pearl fishermen open several thousand mussels to find one pearl.

Linnaeus organized huge nature walks on Saturdays with as many as 150 people. He was a very popular lecturer at the university. Those who keep travel journals or nature diaries will find its black coat and white waistcoat, its wrinkled forehead and hooked nose and the effect it gives of wearing spectacles, it looks extremely comical when it walks..."

The last chapter provides activities for the budding botantist (no pun intended) like making a flower press and collecting seeds.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, March 23, 2010

By 

Jennifer Bogart "@ Quiverfullfamily.com" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification (Great Minds of Science) (Library Binding)

Carl Linnaeus is a scientific figure rarely taught about in either history or science courses. Known as the "father of classification", Linnaeus reformed the systems used to identify and name plants and animals, replacing them with the binomial (two-word) naming system.

Most of us with some degree of biology training are familiar with the "formal" or scientific names for at least a few plants and animals: Canis lupus L. (gray wolf), Felis domesticus (domestic cat), Rhus toxicodendron L. (poison ivy). Despite graduating from high school biology I somehow missed that the L. present after so many scientific names stood for Carl Linnaeus, the man who originally named so many of them.

Margaret J. Anderson's accessible biography of Linnaeus, Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification, presents the Swedish scientist in an engaging and colorful format for middle school readers. Filled with accounts of Linnaeus' childhood, education, travels, writings, career, family, and more, there is plenty of personal detail here to engage the man on the level of human emotions. Anderson also provides insight into his passion for botany, and follows the development and growing acceptance of binomial nomenclature.

I greatly enjoyed learning the basic framework of the contributions Linnaeus made to science, his passion for botany, and how the experiences of nature in his childhood served as the driving force for the rest of his life. Concerned parents may wish to note that some brief mentions of evolution are made in reference to Darwin in the chapter "Before and After Linnaeus", but the vast majority of the text does not address the issue of origins at all.

The revised 2009 edition from Enslow Publishers' Great Minds of Science series features colorful pages, historical maps, photographs from the places Linnaeus lived and journeyed to, and paintings of the man himself. Activities for young botanists, examples of binomial nomenclature, a timeline, glossary, further resources, and index make this title a treasure worthy of supplementing studies of botany, general biology, or the history of scientific progress with. Ambitious young scientists may be drawn to this title as inspirational reading. Printed with a reinforced, hardcover library binding, this title is designed to serve as a reference volume for years to come.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Science Book!, January 30, 2010

By 

claire bright "Krista Clemens" (AL, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification (Great Minds of Science) (Library Binding)

This book doesn't look like it would be interesting, but as the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. This book was really informative and not boring in the least. I would definitely recommend it. Very enjoyable.