Botanicum: Welcome to the Museum

Product Information

Let’s be honest: even if you know nothing about plants and have no interest in learning about plants, if you pop this one on your coffee table, guests you wish to impress are going to be fooled into thinking you’re a botanical genius. Or at least a botanical enthusiast. The book is touted for those ages 8 to 12 but surely they can't mean that! This book is a treasure and plant lovers (and soon-to-be plant lovers) of ALL ages will find themselves immersed for hours observing the detail of these beautiful illustrations by Katie Scott and reading the explanations by Kathy Willis that is all about each particular plant.

It’s the perfect size to lay out flat on a table or on the floor, so all of your friends can gather round and point enthusiastically at that bit of information that will move your quest forward. Seriously, the size and format of the book just screams “Enticing information contained within!” Professor Katherine (Kathy) J. Willis is Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where she spearheaded the launch of Kew's Science Strategy 2015-2020. Kathy is also Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford and an adjunct Professor in Biology at the University of Bergen. She previously held the Tasso Leventis Chair of Biodiversity at Oxford and was founding Director of the Biodiversity Institute. Kathy's research interests focus on the relationship between long-term ecosystem dynamics and environmental change. Kathy has published extensively and has authored or co-authored over 100 scientific publications, including the landmark book The Evolution of Plants, now in its second edition. In August 2015, Kathy was awarded the prestigious Michael Faraday Prize from the Royal Society for her excellent work in science communication.

This is a splendid exploration of the world of plants by Kathy Willis, from the primitive to the prettiest. The botanical pictures by Katie Scott are lovely.

With over 100 colour illustrations featuring plant species from all over the world, this large format, high quality book is the ideal gift for plant lovers of all ages, and perfect to explore as a family. Believe me, прочитати перше видання підручника Морозюк (з усіма респектами до “першого вітчизняного шкільного підручника з ботаніки”) з його переускладеною лексикою та манерою викладу, ніби то для дуже замотивованих студентів, а не для школярів, за два дні – це нефігова психологічна травма. Ні, в “Ботанікумі” теж розповідають про вайї з архегоніями, але роблять це повільно, охайно та старанно повторюючи “людськими словами”. Професорка Кесі Вілліс – завідувачка науково-дослідницького управління в К’ю – свою частину справи зробила круто. Статті тут поділяються на дві частини: перша – дуже загальний вступ до теми, друга – уточнення специфіки, що йдуть “додатком” до ілюстрації. І от складні технічні моменти та більшість специфічних термінів ідуть якраз в тих “додатках”, а їх можна читати, а можна і нє. Можна й взагалі не читати, а картинки роздивлятися, вони ще крутіші. Ото в блозі якраз показую.This title makes a sizable claim to operate as a museum of world plants, and it delivers in a big way…The text is accessible to 3rd grade classrooms (pictures will impress those even younger), yet will still offer interest to secondary grades for botany class or browsing. Even if you accept the theory of evolution (see Evolution: Theory in Crisis by Michael Denton for a great intro into some of the issues with the theory) the amount of guesswork presented as fact is concerning. Even more so when this could have been a very compelling book that served as a lovely springboard into a love of botany.