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Flowering Earth
"Even a diehard urbanite would likely be seduced by this extraordinary chronicle of the plant kingdom . . . " ―Publishers Weekly
" . . . much more than the fascinating story of plant life . . . It is also a book about the resilience of life itself, the mystery and power of the unseen energy appearing in the visible world in a marvelous variety of forms." ―Audubon Naturalist News
"Here is Mr. Peattie at his superb best. . . . [H]e makes the story of botany and its pursuit as fascinating to the reader as it is to him, and the reading of it a delight." ―Hartford Times
"[Peattie] belongs with Gilbert White, Thoreau, John Burroughs, W. H. Hudson, Richard Jeffries, and John Muir." ―Mark van Doren
First published in 1939, this beautifully imaginative book is about botany much in the same sense that Walden is about a pond. Part natural history, part biography, and part philosophical reflection, Flowering Earth is written in a warm, lyrical style that made poet-scientist Donald Culross Peattie one of America's best-known naturalist writers.
" . . . much more than the fascinating story of plant life . . . It is also a book about the resilience of life itself, the mystery and power of the unseen energy appearing in the visible world in a marvelous variety of forms." ―Audubon Naturalist News
"Here is Mr. Peattie at his superb best. . . . [H]e makes the story of botany and its pursuit as fascinating to the reader as it is to him, and the reading of it a delight." ―Hartford Times
"[Peattie] belongs with Gilbert White, Thoreau, John Burroughs, W. H. Hudson, Richard Jeffries, and John Muir." ―Mark van Doren
First published in 1939, this beautifully imaginative book is about botany much in the same sense that Walden is about a pond. Part natural history, part biography, and part philosophical reflection, Flowering Earth is written in a warm, lyrical style that made poet-scientist Donald Culross Peattie one of America's best-known naturalist writers.
- GenresNature
Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
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About the author
Donald Culross Peattie
112 books17 followersDonald Culross Peattie was a U.S. botanist, naturalist and author. He was described by Joseph Wood Krutch as "perhaps the most widely read of all contemporary American nature writers" during his heyday. He was nature columnist for the The Washington Star from 1924 to 1935.
His nature writings are distinguished by a poetic and philosophical cast of mind and are scientifically scrupulous. His best known works are the two books (out of a planned trilogy) on North American trees which he wrote in the late 1940s and early '50s. These were published as a single volume for the first time in April 2007 as A Natural History of North American Trees. (Unfortunately, this hardbound volume reduces the two books' original 257 mini-essays to only 112 and includes only 135 of Paul Landacre's original 365 woodcut illustrations.)
His nature writings are distinguished by a poetic and philosophical cast of mind and are scientifically scrupulous. His best known works are the two books (out of a planned trilogy) on North American trees which he wrote in the late 1940s and early '50s. These were published as a single volume for the first time in April 2007 as A Natural History of North American Trees. (Unfortunately, this hardbound volume reduces the two books' original 257 mini-essays to only 112 and includes only 135 of Paul Landacre's original 365 woodcut illustrations.)
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December 30, 2020
Another rhapsodic book by Donald Culross Peattie, one of my favorite authors. While I thoroughly enjoyed "Flowering Earth", I believe others of his books are better reading. But I would never discourage anyone from reading this.
Of course, it should be noted that this was originally published in 1939 and some of the science is dated. But not so much as to interfere with my enjoyment of Peattie's prose.
Of course, it should be noted that this was originally published in 1939 and some of the science is dated. But not so much as to interfere with my enjoyment of Peattie's prose.
Displaying 1 of 1 review