Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants

Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants PDF Author: Ken Thompson
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022667570X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
“A survey of the botanical experimenting and theorizing that occupied Darwin’s golden years. . . . with expert evolutionary commentary.” —New York Review of Books For many people, Charles Darwin’s trip to Galapagos Islands on the Beagle, where he saw a biodiversity of birds, inspired him to write his theory of evolution. But this simplified narrative leaves out a major part of Darwin’s legacy. He published On the Origin of Species nearly thirty years after his voyages. And much of his life was spent experimenting with and observing plants. Darwin was a brilliant and revolutionary botanist whose observations and theories were far ahead of his time. With Darwin’s Most Wonderful Plants, biologist and gardening expert Ken Thompson restores this important aspect of Darwin’s biography while also delighting in the botanical world that captivated the famous scientist. We learn from Thompson how Darwin used plants to shape his most famous theory and then later how he used that theory to further push the boundaries of botanical knowledge. Both Thompson and Darwin share a love for our most wonderful plants and the remarkable secrets they can unlock. This book will instill that same joy in casual gardeners and botany aficionados alike. “In this quietly riveting study, plant biologist Ken Thompson reveals Charles Darwin as a botanical revolutionary.” —Nature “This is a fascinating insight into the scientist’s sheer delight in observing the minutiae of living organisms.” —Gardens Illustrated “Thompson revisits Darwin’s botany, showing us how insightful he was, where (rarely) he was wrong and the marvelous discoveries that have been made since. . . . Darwin himself would have loved this book.” —Jonathan Silvertown, author of Dinner with Darwin: Food, Drink, and Evolution

Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants

Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants PDF Author: Ken Thompson
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022667570X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Get Book Here

Book Description
“A survey of the botanical experimenting and theorizing that occupied Darwin’s golden years. . . . with expert evolutionary commentary.” —New York Review of Books For many people, Charles Darwin’s trip to Galapagos Islands on the Beagle, where he saw a biodiversity of birds, inspired him to write his theory of evolution. But this simplified narrative leaves out a major part of Darwin’s legacy. He published On the Origin of Species nearly thirty years after his voyages. And much of his life was spent experimenting with and observing plants. Darwin was a brilliant and revolutionary botanist whose observations and theories were far ahead of his time. With Darwin’s Most Wonderful Plants, biologist and gardening expert Ken Thompson restores this important aspect of Darwin’s biography while also delighting in the botanical world that captivated the famous scientist. We learn from Thompson how Darwin used plants to shape his most famous theory and then later how he used that theory to further push the boundaries of botanical knowledge. Both Thompson and Darwin share a love for our most wonderful plants and the remarkable secrets they can unlock. This book will instill that same joy in casual gardeners and botany aficionados alike. “In this quietly riveting study, plant biologist Ken Thompson reveals Charles Darwin as a botanical revolutionary.” —Nature “This is a fascinating insight into the scientist’s sheer delight in observing the minutiae of living organisms.” —Gardens Illustrated “Thompson revisits Darwin’s botany, showing us how insightful he was, where (rarely) he was wrong and the marvelous discoveries that have been made since. . . . Darwin himself would have loved this book.” —Jonathan Silvertown, author of Dinner with Darwin: Food, Drink, and Evolution

Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants

Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants PDF Author: Ken Thompson
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022667567X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Get Book Here

Book Description
For many people, the story of Charles Darwin goes like this: he ventured to the Galapagos Islands on the Beagle, was inspired by the biodiversity of the birds he saw there, and immediately returned home to write his theory of evolution. But this simplified narrative is inaccurate and lacking: it leaves out a major part of Darwin’s legacy. He published On the Origin of Species nearly thirty years after his voyages. And much of his life was spent experimenting with and observing plants. Darwin was a brilliant and revolutionary botanist whose observations and theories were far ahead of his time. With Darwin’s Most Wonderful Plants, biologist and gardening expert Ken Thompson restores this important aspect of Darwin’s biography while also delighting in the botanical world that captivated the famous scientist. Thompson traces how well Darwin’s discoveries have held up, revealing that many are remarkably long-lasting. Some findings are only now being confirmed and extended by high-tech modern research, while some have been corrected through recent analysis. We learn from Thompson how Darwin used plants to shape his most famous theory and then later how he used that theory to further push the boundaries of botanical knowledge. We also get to look over Darwin’s shoulder as he labors, learning more about his approach to research and his astonishing capacity for hard work. Darwin’s genius was to see the wonder and the significance in the ordinary and mundane, in the things that most people wouldn’t look at twice. Both Thompson and Darwin share a love for our most wonderful plants and the remarkable secrets they can unlock. This book will instill that same joy in casual gardeners and botany aficionados alike.

Insectivorous Plants

Insectivorous Plants PDF Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Carnivorous plants
Languages : en
Pages : 482

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Book Description


The Various Contrivances by which Orchids are Fertilised by Insects

The Various Contrivances by which Orchids are Fertilised by Insects PDF Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fertilization of plants
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description


The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species

The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species PDF Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fertilization of plants
Languages : en
Pages : 398

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Book Description


Darwin's Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory

Darwin's Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory PDF Author: James T. Costa
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393249158
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
“If you’ve ever fantasized walking and conversing with the great scientist on the subjects that consumed him, and now wish to add the fullness of reality, read this book.” —Edward O. Wilson, author of Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life James T. Costa takes readers on a journey from Darwin’s childhood through his voyage on the HMS Beagle, where his ideas on evolution began, and on to Down House, his bustling home of forty years. Using his garden and greenhouse, the surrounding meadows and woodlands, and even the cellar and hallways of his home-turned-field-station, Darwin tested ideas of his landmark theory of evolution through an astonishing array of experiments without using specialized equipment. From those results, he plumbed the laws of nature and drew evidence for the revolutionary arguments of On the Origin of Species and other watershed works. This unique perspective introduces us to an enthusiastic correspondent, collaborator, and, especially, an incorrigible observer and experimenter. And it includes eighteen experiments for home, school, or garden. Finalist for the 2018 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prizes for Excellence in Science Books.

Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure

Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure PDF Author: Jennifer Thermes
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1613129718
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
In 1831, Charles Darwin embarked on his first voyage. Though he was a scientist by profession, he was an explorer at heart. While journeying around South America for the first time aboard a ninety-foot-long ship named the Beagle, Charles collected insets, dug up bones, galloped with gauchos, encountered volcanoes and earthquakes, and even ate armadillo for breakfast! The discoveries he made during this adventure would later inspire ideas that changed how we see the world. Complete with mesmerizing map work that charts Darwin's thrilling five-year voyage, as well as "Fun Facts" and more, Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure captures the beauty and mystery of nature with wide-eyed wonder.

Darwin's Orchids

Darwin's Orchids PDF Author: Retha Edens-Meier
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226044912
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 440

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Book Description
A quorum of scientists offer reviews and results to celebrate the 150th anniversary of 'On The Various Contrivances By Which British And Foreign Orchids Are Fertilised By Insects, And On The Good Effects Of Intercrossing' (1862). Authors of the first ten chapters follow research on the pollination and breeding systems of the same orchid lineages that interested Darwin, including temperate and tropical species. Authors on the last two chapters provide information on the floral attractants and flowering systems of orchids using protocols and technologies unavailable during Darwin's lifetime.

The Power of Movement in Plants

The Power of Movement in Plants PDF Author: Charles Robert Darwin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Botany
Languages : en
Pages : 610

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Book Description


Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love

Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love PDF Author: Elizabeth A. Johnson
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1472903730
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
An examination of the relationship between faith in God and the concept of ecological care within a crisis of biodiversity