Linnaeus' Philosophia Botanica [Paperback]

Carl Linnaeus (Author), Stephen Freer (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198569343 | ISBN-13: 978-0198569343 | Publication Date: August 11, 2005

Philosophia Botanica (The Science of Botany), by Carl Linnaeus, was originally published in Latin in Stockholm and Amsterdam in 1751. It is a greatly expanded revision of his Fundamenta Botanica (Foundations of Botany) of 1736, summarizing his work on the classification and taxonomy of plants while adding substantial new material. The book represents a critical stage in the evolution of binomial nomenclature, with a single word to describe the genus and another for the species. Special importance is attached to accurate description of the parts of plants, and to the correct use of technical terms. There are also explanations of the effects of soil and climatic conditions on plant growth. The book includes 9 original engravings, with 167 figures showing the shapes of leaves and other parts of the plant, and 6 short memoranda describing Linnaeus' botanical excursions, detailing his ideas for garden and herbarium construction, and outlining what is required of a botanist and his pupils. There are also indexes of technical terms, genera and subjects. The first full English translation of this classic work since 1775, this beautiful book will be highly attractive to botanists and all those interested in the history of science.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Fortunatly, Stephen Freer, a classical scholar, has provided painstaking, exact and very lucid English translation....so that the Philosophia Botnaic, with the addition of an excellent introduction by Paul Allen Cox, is now accessible and meaningful to those with no more then a modest grasp of systematic botany."-- Curtis's Botanical Journal

"This book is beautifully produced and well-illustrated. Stephen Freer is to be congratulated on his translation wich easily brings 18th century Latin to a modern relationship."--Edinburgh Journal of Botany

"The translator's meticulous attention to detail and the publisher's lavish production cannot be praised too highly. A valuable resource for taxonomists and of great interest to botanists in general and historians of science."--The Naturalist

"As translator, Freer is in a sense invisible in this work, and yet his hand is on every page, presenting Linnaeus' ideas and teachings to a new and wider audience... straightforward and very readable. This translation is an important contribution to science and its history..."-- Charlotte Tancin, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation

"We must be grateful to Stephen Freer and Oxford University Press for bringing us this excellent translation. I urge yo not only to buy it but also to read it, because you will enjoy it."--Alex S. George, Systematic Biology

"Reading this excellent translation of the Philosophia Botanica, ...historians, botanists and gardeners are among those who will find it fascinating"--Jim Endersby, The Times Literary Supplement

"Freer's translation of Linnaeus's Philosophia Botanica makes a classic work of botany accessible to English language readers. ...will have a lasting impact on historical studies aimed at understanding how Linnaeus worked and how some of his ideas were formulated."--Choice

"All in all this is a delightful and informative translation of a botanical classic... Anyone interested in the history of botany and in teaching botany will enjoy and benefit from reading this book."--Plant Science Bulletin, Fall 2005, Vol.51, No.3

"Reading this excellent translation . . . reviewers of the hard copy edition have already heaped praise on Stephen Freer's skilful and meticulous translation. . . I can only add gratitude for providing easy access to one of Linnaeus's most important texts."-- Dr Pieter Baas, The Linnean Society Journal, October 2006

"All in all this is a delightful and informative translation of a botanical classic...Anyone interested in the history of botany and in teaching botany will enjoy and benefit from reading this book."--Marshall D. Sundberg, Plant Science Bulletin

Philosophia Botanica is certainly a must on the shelves of anyone interested in the history and philosophy of the life sciences."-- Dr. Staffan Mueller-Wille, Journal of the History of Biology

"What a treat to have the whole of this work available in English for the first time. It is hard to over-emphasise its importance."--Dr Crinan Alexander, The Garden

". . . In his translation, Freer remains faithful to the author while choosing language that will convey meaning to modern readers. . ." Dr Melinda Hayes,Quarterly Review of Biology

"For his skilful translation Stephen Freer deserves our unstinted admiration and gratitude."-- Philip Oswald, Archives of Natural History

"Stephen Freer is to be heartily congratulated for providing such a stylish and, for the first time, complete English translation of this most important volume."-- Dr Gren Lucas, Plant Talk

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198569343
• ISBN-13: 978-0198569343
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,018,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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