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Darwin and the Art of Botany: Observations on the Curious World of Plants
Uncover Darwin’s most important writings about plants with this important collection featuring expert interpretations and rare illustrations. Charles Darwin is best known for his work on the evolution of animals, but in fact a large part of his contribution to the natural sciences is focused on plants. His observations are crucial to our modern understanding of everything from the amazing pollination process of orchids to the way that vines climb. Darwin and the Art of Botany collects writings from six often overlooked texts devoted entirely to plants, and pairs each excerpt with beautiful botanical art from the library at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, creating a gorgeously illustrated volume that never existed in Darwin's own lifetime, and hasn't since. Evolutionary botanist and science historian James Costa brings his expertise to each entry, situating Darwin's words in the context of the knowledge and research of the time. The result is a new way of visualizing Darwin's work, and a greater understanding of the ways he's shaped our world.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2023
23 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 13, 2023
This book was a quick, fun read for anyone interested in botany, the work of Charles Darwin, and beautiful artwork. The prints in this book are gorgeous and I think more science themed book should have artwork in them. I will admit that Darwin is a very dry writer, but I appreciate his (and his family's) dedication to science and the rigorous study of life on this planet. Now I'd love to take a trip to visit the Botanical Gardens in Kew.
February 23, 2023
Darwin and the Art of Botany is an interesting and well illustrated book following the life and botanical study of a Charles Darwin. The author has given a brilliant insight into these topics and uses a range of illustrations and references to bring his life and studies together as a whole. My main quarrel with this novel was that it wasn’t concise enough and could have been more focused on just the artwork with maybe a small amount of background detailing (although the book does explain early on that his art is few and far between). However, the book is easy to follow and is perfect for those researching the topic as the book is carefully and strategically spilt into easy to read and follow chapters. However, all the artwork featured is outstanding beautiful and will inspire anyone who picks up the book. Overall I feel the book gives a good beginners guide to those interested within Darwin’s life and his impact upon the botanical world and is a good read for those interested in biology or botanical studies.
March 11, 2023
This book was a remarkable combination of fine art and scientific knowledge. "Darwin and the Art of Botany: Observations on the Curious World of Plants" shines a light on the diligent scientific research Darwin did in the field of botany. Each plant highlighted in this book is showcased by beautiful illustrations, as well as detailed excerpts from Darwin's research on the history and science behind each unique species. This work is more academic but not beyond the understanding of someone with a basic knowledge of plants. The book will appeal to scientists, gardeners, and those with a passion for fine art.
May 10, 2024
- Summary -
Although Charles Darwin is best known for his work on the evolution of animals, he also made large contributions to the natural sciences with his extensive work on plants. He made many detailed and thorough studies on various plants at his home.
Darwin and the Art of Botany is a wonderful read which includes beautiful illustrations and exerts from some of Darwin's lesser known works.
- Review -
The illustrations are beautiful and add such a nice accent to each of the dedicated chapters. The authors did a wonderful job trying to convey the type of person Darwin was, he was very inquisitive and constantly trying to understand how and why plants grew in a certain way. In addition the exerts from some of Darwin's lesser known works was very informative and it was very cool to read some of his findings.
It's a wonderful book for anyone who enjoys learning about plants, or want to know more about Darwin's research. It would be great to read over the course of a couple of rainy days; each of the sections are fairly short so you feel like you can pick it up again without feeling lost.
Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for this ARC.
Although Charles Darwin is best known for his work on the evolution of animals, he also made large contributions to the natural sciences with his extensive work on plants. He made many detailed and thorough studies on various plants at his home.
Darwin and the Art of Botany is a wonderful read which includes beautiful illustrations and exerts from some of Darwin's lesser known works.
- Review -
The illustrations are beautiful and add such a nice accent to each of the dedicated chapters. The authors did a wonderful job trying to convey the type of person Darwin was, he was very inquisitive and constantly trying to understand how and why plants grew in a certain way. In addition the exerts from some of Darwin's lesser known works was very informative and it was very cool to read some of his findings.
It's a wonderful book for anyone who enjoys learning about plants, or want to know more about Darwin's research. It would be great to read over the course of a couple of rainy days; each of the sections are fairly short so you feel like you can pick it up again without feeling lost.
Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for this ARC.
March 22, 2023
If you are a “plant-nerd" with an interest in Charles Darwin’s experimental work on plants (beautifully illustrated with many “historically significant botanical artwork"), you will enjoy this book. It includes generous quotes from Darwin’s works, including “The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids are Fertilized by Insects” (Darwin was a dedicated observer of Nature who wrote well, but he didn’t like paragraph breaks much, so be prepared to wade through long passages without rest) as well as charming tidbits about the man himself (he once lost a bet in college about the height of a ceiling, surrendering a bottle of port to the winner).
The book’s illustrations, which were provided by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, are gorgeous and fascinating in their detail.
What I didn’t like about the book was the authors’ unusual use of idiomatic expressions that seemed to come out of nowhere and land with a thud. It’s a book about science, so going into it you expect to run into terms like “consilient resonance” and to then break open a dictionary, but what you don’t see coming are oddities like “The only fly in the ointment was his father.” or Darwin writing “How I wish I was a Botanist.” To which the authors added "(As if!)”. It’s like they were trying to make the prose approachable, but instead built speed bumps that jarred me out of reading repeatedly. Eventually they stopped with the idioms at which point the writing was fluid and interesting.
I have to mention the book's design, Sowins Design used fonts, color choices, and a layout that enhanced the content beautifully, making it a joy just to flip through. It’s the perfect coffee table book!
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The book’s illustrations, which were provided by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, are gorgeous and fascinating in their detail.
What I didn’t like about the book was the authors’ unusual use of idiomatic expressions that seemed to come out of nowhere and land with a thud. It’s a book about science, so going into it you expect to run into terms like “consilient resonance” and to then break open a dictionary, but what you don’t see coming are oddities like “The only fly in the ointment was his father.” or Darwin writing “How I wish I was a Botanist.” To which the authors added "(As if!)”. It’s like they were trying to make the prose approachable, but instead built speed bumps that jarred me out of reading repeatedly. Eventually they stopped with the idioms at which point the writing was fluid and interesting.
I have to mention the book's design, Sowins Design used fonts, color choices, and a layout that enhanced the content beautifully, making it a joy just to flip through. It’s the perfect coffee table book!
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
March 27, 2023
Synopsis: Charles Darwin is best known for his work on the evolution of animals, but what people don't really know is that, in fact, a large part of his contribution to the natural sciences is focused on plants. His observations are crucial to our modern understanding of everything from the amazing pollination process of orchids to the way that vines climb. This book collects writings from six often overlooked texts devoted entirely to plants, and pairs each excerpt with beautiful botanical art from the library at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, creating a gorgeously illustrated volume that never existed in Darwin's own lifetime, and hasn't since. Evolutionary botanist and science historian James Costa brings his expertise to each entry, situating Darwin's words in the context of the knowledge and research of the time. The result is a new way of visualizing Darwin's work, and a greater understanding of the ways he's shaped our world.
Opinion: As biologist I adore to learn more topics and although plants were not my thing, this book is amazing from the writing to the drawings and pictures inside. Just to see the details in the images is worth the reading and more so with such wonderful compilation of botanical information.
Opinion: As biologist I adore to learn more topics and although plants were not my thing, this book is amazing from the writing to the drawings and pictures inside. Just to see the details in the images is worth the reading and more so with such wonderful compilation of botanical information.
February 28, 2023
Darwin and the Art of Botany,
Observations on the Curious World of Plants
by James T. Costa and Bobbi Angell
A summary of Charles Darwin's writings about 45 species of plants, with skillfully-detailed sketches, this professionally-presented text is part history, part reference, part detailed study of Darwin's botany research, and part artwork.
The subject plant species are such as might be encountered in an English country garden and hothouse, and include peas, beans, grapes, clover, primrose and orchid. Each species is described in a half-dozen pages, with an introduction followed by Darwin's writings about that particular plant, together with Darwin quotes and personal trivia. The illustrations deserve special mention: features of the highlighted plants are sketched with botanical detail, coloured and presented with artistry.
This book will appeal to gardeners and historians, and of course to botanists. The style initially resembles a history and botany text, but the main impression upon me is an introduction to the personality of Charles Darwin, dedicated researcher of biology.
Observations on the Curious World of Plants
by James T. Costa and Bobbi Angell
A summary of Charles Darwin's writings about 45 species of plants, with skillfully-detailed sketches, this professionally-presented text is part history, part reference, part detailed study of Darwin's botany research, and part artwork.
The subject plant species are such as might be encountered in an English country garden and hothouse, and include peas, beans, grapes, clover, primrose and orchid. Each species is described in a half-dozen pages, with an introduction followed by Darwin's writings about that particular plant, together with Darwin quotes and personal trivia. The illustrations deserve special mention: features of the highlighted plants are sketched with botanical detail, coloured and presented with artistry.
This book will appeal to gardeners and historians, and of course to botanists. The style initially resembles a history and botany text, but the main impression upon me is an introduction to the personality of Charles Darwin, dedicated researcher of biology.
June 13, 2023
An interesting book especially regarding the details of Darwin's work with Orchids & also the Movement within Plants that goes totally unnoticed by most people. The Colour Plates & Illustrations in this Book were superb & one could love it just for those, however I feel some of the text was very long winded & specialised & would therefore put many off from reading this Book hence why I have only given it 3 Stars. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #Amazon.co.uk,#Fb, #Instagram, #
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, #, #.April 20, 2024
Waar het boek niet over gaat : de mens Darwin , waar ik na het lezen van dit boek graag eens een biografie zou van lezen , zijn inzichten kende ik al een beetje , hij lijkt mij over te komen als een dankbare man die gemakkelijk het werk van anderen kon beamen en er positief en dankbaar kon voor zijn en ook iemand die gemakkelijk zijn fouten kon toegeven , daarvoor alleen vind ik hem al een voorbeeld als mens en voor onderzoekers ,
…. We lijken nu terug te leven in een tijd die dankbaarheid en grootmoedigheid meer als zwakte beschouwen, ….. wat mij nadelig lijkt op onderzoeksgebied,
Waar het boek wel over gaat : planten , mooie tekeningen en teksten en de inzichten, en nauwgezet observatie vermogen van een man met een voelbare passie voor de natuur ,
5 sterren als men curieus is in bv vleesetende planten , klimplanten en bv hoe en waarom ze ronddraaiende en andere bewegingen maken en verschillende bestuiving methoden enz , mooi boek !
…. We lijken nu terug te leven in een tijd die dankbaarheid en grootmoedigheid meer als zwakte beschouwen, ….. wat mij nadelig lijkt op onderzoeksgebied,
Waar het boek wel over gaat : planten , mooie tekeningen en teksten en de inzichten, en nauwgezet observatie vermogen van een man met een voelbare passie voor de natuur ,
5 sterren als men curieus is in bv vleesetende planten , klimplanten en bv hoe en waarom ze ronddraaiende en andere bewegingen maken en verschillende bestuiving methoden enz , mooi boek !
February 23, 2023
Darwin and the Art of Botany, by Bobbi Angell and James Costa, is a beautiful book that will look wonderful on display, but is also well worth reading as well.
I make that stipulation because many of us sometimes flip through books like this, pausing over particularly interesting images, but don't actually read the text. The excerpts from Darwin are fascinating and, coupled with artwork from others, gives a whole new appreciation to the work he did that has been overshadowed, understandably, by his Origin of Species.
That said, I have to admit to going through the book looking at the drawings several times, before, during, and after reading the text. They are exquisite and I can imagine keeping this open to various pages rather than sitting closed on a coffee table or display shelves.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I make that stipulation because many of us sometimes flip through books like this, pausing over particularly interesting images, but don't actually read the text. The excerpts from Darwin are fascinating and, coupled with artwork from others, gives a whole new appreciation to the work he did that has been overshadowed, understandably, by his Origin of Species.
That said, I have to admit to going through the book looking at the drawings several times, before, during, and after reading the text. They are exquisite and I can imagine keeping this open to various pages rather than sitting closed on a coffee table or display shelves.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
October 7, 2023
A delightful book that covers the botanical investigations of Darwin. Excellent illustrations and perfect selections from Darwin and others in the field at the time. The book clearly shows Darwin close to the concepts of the theory of genetics which were to become an integral element to understanding the idea of natural selection. Those concepts were to be explained by Mendel a generation later. One does not get a sense of Darwin missing anything though. We marvel at his speculations and his meticulous work and see the proper context of him and the state of science at the time. The answers were being formulated to the questions, but no one was there just yet.
This book is a pleasant enjoyable read and a perfect way to enhance your knowledge of Darwin. Well done Costa and Angell.
This book is a pleasant enjoyable read and a perfect way to enhance your knowledge of Darwin. Well done Costa and Angell.
March 15, 2023
What a beautifully constructed book. This noteworthy piece of literature blends together the realms of artistic excellence and scientific expertise. "Observations on the Curious World of Plants: Darwin and the Art of Botany" illuminates the painstaking scientific inquiry undertaken by Darwin in the field of botany. Every plant featured in this book is presented with stunning artwork and accompanied by comprehensive extracts from Darwin's research on the origins and science of each distinct species.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
October 9, 2023
This unique volume unearths six rarely seen, plant-centered texts by Charles Darwin, and presents them with breathtaking 19th-century botanical illustrations. Framing Darwin's own words within the lens of the science of his time, this curated collection provides insight into a pioneering mind that forever changed our relationship with the natural world.
This visually beautiful book contains fascinating excerpts from Darwin's work, which illuminate the wonders of the natural world.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This visually beautiful book contains fascinating excerpts from Darwin's work, which illuminate the wonders of the natural world.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
April 8, 2023
The premise of this book and the aesthetics of it are both lovely. It was obviously created by people who care about both history and science. The illustrations are paired with the excerpts extremely well. The formatting is lovely as well.
As a side note, wow, Darwin was coming up with the right questions and wrong answers sometimes, and vice versa as well! Ha!
As a side note, wow, Darwin was coming up with the right questions and wrong answers sometimes, and vice versa as well! Ha!
November 7, 2023
I knew from the second I saw this cover and title that I would love it! Everyone has heard of Darwin, ok maybe almost everyone? But this concept was super interesting since mainstream references to him involve animals. But Darwin’s work and ideas apply to both flora and fauna so this was an enlightening collection to expand that thinking. Great read and beautiful “table book” too! ;)
August 17, 2023
This is a beautiful book. If you love botany then this is for you. I gleaned some wonderful information, the section on the Venus fly trap was excellent as a native of North Carolina. This is one I’ll be turning to over and over for our homeschool nature studies.
September 12, 2023
Very interesting book about something I'd been completely unaware of - Darwin's interest in plants seems only natural given his work but it never occurred to me until I saw this book. Illustrations are lovely as well.
August 24, 2023
The text was captivating, but the artwork was beautiful. This was an exceptionally visually pleasing work, and I loved seeing the older botanical drawings.
January 30, 2024
I love anything about Darwin, but this book is definitely geared more to knowledgeable horticulturalists.
Stunning illustrations.
Stunning illustrations.
December 13, 2023
Absolutely beautiful illustrations and interesting text.
I received an electronic ARC but I imagine the print version would be even better. Recommended for anyone interested in plant life or even as a gift.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. #sponsored
I received an electronic ARC but I imagine the print version would be even better. Recommended for anyone interested in plant life or even as a gift.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. #sponsored
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews