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The Nature of Natural History
This classic work is an exploration of what natural history is, and a sustained effort to see how it relates to other areas of biology. Marston Bates did not attempt to overwhelm his audience with facts or overinterpret those he did use, and, perhaps for this reason, The Nature of Natural History is a timeless work. The author's genuine interest in the tropics has a very current feeling, and the first ten or fifteen chapters of the work have a style that is parallel to that of David Attenborough's verbal presentations of nature. From the book: "I have already made several remarks about the connection between parasitism and degeneracy. I suspect this is a matter of point of view. We are predatory animals ourselves, and consequently admire the characteristics of predationagility, speed, cunning, self-reliance. We feel a certain kinship with the lion, and regard the liver fluke with horror. If a sheep were given the choice, though, it might prefer to be debilitated by liver flukes rather than killed by a lion."
321 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Marston Bates
56 books2 followersMarston Bates (July 23, 1906 – April 3, 1974) was an American zoologist. Bates' studies on mosquitoes contributed to the understanding of the epidemiology of yellow fever in northern South America.
Born in Michigan, Bates received a B.S. from the University of Florida in 1927. He received an A.M. in 1933 and a Ph.D. in 1934, both from Harvard University. He lived for many years in Villavicencio between the mountains and the llanos in central Columbia. From 1952 until 1971 he was a professor at the University of Michigan. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1958. He was the author of many popular science books. He was married to Nancy Bell Fairchild, daughter of the botanist David Fairchild and granddaughter of Alexander Graham Bell.
In 1960, he published the ecological science book The Forest and the Sea, an introduction to how ecosystems work. He compares a rain forest and a tropical sea, their similarities and differences, and through it demonstrates how to understand biological systems.
Books:
"The Nature of Natural History" (1950; Charles Scribner's Sons; New York; 309 pp.)
"Where Winter Never Comes: A Study of Man and Nature in the Tropics" (1952; Charles Scribner's Sons; New York)
"The Natural History of Mosquitoes" (1954; MacMillan; New York)
"The Prevalence of People" (1955; Charles Scribner's Sons; New York)
The Forest and the Sea (1960; Random House/1988; Lyons)
The Land and Wildlife of South America (1964; Series: LIFE Nature Library)
Gluttons and Libertines: Human Problems of Being Natural"(1968; Random House)
A Jungle in the House: Essays in Natural and Unnatural History (1970; Walker and Company)
Born in Michigan, Bates received a B.S. from the University of Florida in 1927. He received an A.M. in 1933 and a Ph.D. in 1934, both from Harvard University. He lived for many years in Villavicencio between the mountains and the llanos in central Columbia. From 1952 until 1971 he was a professor at the University of Michigan. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1958. He was the author of many popular science books. He was married to Nancy Bell Fairchild, daughter of the botanist David Fairchild and granddaughter of Alexander Graham Bell.
In 1960, he published the ecological science book The Forest and the Sea, an introduction to how ecosystems work. He compares a rain forest and a tropical sea, their similarities and differences, and through it demonstrates how to understand biological systems.
Books:
"The Nature of Natural History" (1950; Charles Scribner's Sons; New York; 309 pp.)
"Where Winter Never Comes: A Study of Man and Nature in the Tropics" (1952; Charles Scribner's Sons; New York)
"The Natural History of Mosquitoes" (1954; MacMillan; New York)
"The Prevalence of People" (1955; Charles Scribner's Sons; New York)
The Forest and the Sea (1960; Random House/1988; Lyons)
The Land and Wildlife of South America (1964; Series: LIFE Nature Library)
Gluttons and Libertines: Human Problems of Being Natural"(1968; Random House)
A Jungle in the House: Essays in Natural and Unnatural History (1970; Walker and Company)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 2, 2021
Marston Bates wrote The Nature of Natural History in 1950 as a defense of the field, which was beginning to be regarded as archaic. This edition of the book was published in 1990 when that judgement was firmly entrenched. Thirty years later natural history museums are fewer and farther between and almost no one is trained to be a natural historian within academia. Henry Horn, writing his introduction in 1990 felt that this fading of natural history as a discipline made Bates's book even more important. He might be right, but I don't see any evidence that it has had an effect.
Horn admits that some of the science in The Nature of Natural History is dated and that some of Prof. Bates's cultural attitudes (e.g. his sexism) are outdated, but that by and large this book remains a sound introduction to the field of natural history. Natural history is the study of whole organisms and the relationships that they have with others of their kind and not their kind and the relationship they have with their physical environment. It was largely an observational science in Bates's era and remains dominantly so now.
The first four chapters of this book would be good for a professor to share with students. She could ask them to update them with the information that has been accumulated during the 70 years since Bates wrote them. But Chapters V through XIV are gems that clearly explain the basics of reproduction, development, aspect of the environment relevant to biota, various concepts in ecology, biogeography, and finally adaptations.
The chapter on evolution is a mixed bag, as so much has been discovered since 1950 and even the way we think about evolution has changed. No one believes, for example, that life has a purpose anymore, but Bates waffles on the subject.
Two chapters on cultural topics are of historical interest. "Natural History and the Human Economy" is an argument for the usefulness of natural history, which is a downright Edwardian attitude (Bates was born in 1906 in England, so he comes by his Edwardian-ness honestly). But this is one of those attitudes that has become prevalent again. English departments are disappearing across the country because no one thinks English majors are useful. Meanwhile the written language because more ubiquitous because of the internet and ever more difficult to read because no one knows how to write standard English anymore.
Bates offers straightforward evidence that natural history is at the base of our understanding of agriculture, forestry, conservation, epidemiology, and climate. Given that natural history has been given short shrift in our education system for decades and we have painted ourselves into a corner in every single one of these fields, one wishes that the academy had heeded Prof. Bates.
We are only now realizing how foolish it is to rely on monocultures and irrigated crops grown in deserts. Our forests are burning in the West because of poor conceived fire suppression policies. The extinction of species is by all accounts accelerating. We are in the middle of a pandemic during which half the U.S. population refuses to believe that a vaccination is the solution. And we are just beginning to understand that the "climate change deniers" are entirely motivated by politics not science.
Marston Bates comes across as a fairly progressively minded man in The Nature of Natural History. Horn believes that if he were alive today, he would have mended his ways regarding sexism and evolutionary purpose. Given the humanity that Bates expresses numerous times throughout his narrative, I'm inclined to agree with Horn.
Horn admits that some of the science in The Nature of Natural History is dated and that some of Prof. Bates's cultural attitudes (e.g. his sexism) are outdated, but that by and large this book remains a sound introduction to the field of natural history. Natural history is the study of whole organisms and the relationships that they have with others of their kind and not their kind and the relationship they have with their physical environment. It was largely an observational science in Bates's era and remains dominantly so now.
The first four chapters of this book would be good for a professor to share with students. She could ask them to update them with the information that has been accumulated during the 70 years since Bates wrote them. But Chapters V through XIV are gems that clearly explain the basics of reproduction, development, aspect of the environment relevant to biota, various concepts in ecology, biogeography, and finally adaptations.
The chapter on evolution is a mixed bag, as so much has been discovered since 1950 and even the way we think about evolution has changed. No one believes, for example, that life has a purpose anymore, but Bates waffles on the subject.
Two chapters on cultural topics are of historical interest. "Natural History and the Human Economy" is an argument for the usefulness of natural history, which is a downright Edwardian attitude (Bates was born in 1906 in England, so he comes by his Edwardian-ness honestly). But this is one of those attitudes that has become prevalent again. English departments are disappearing across the country because no one thinks English majors are useful. Meanwhile the written language because more ubiquitous because of the internet and ever more difficult to read because no one knows how to write standard English anymore.
Bates offers straightforward evidence that natural history is at the base of our understanding of agriculture, forestry, conservation, epidemiology, and climate. Given that natural history has been given short shrift in our education system for decades and we have painted ourselves into a corner in every single one of these fields, one wishes that the academy had heeded Prof. Bates.
We are only now realizing how foolish it is to rely on monocultures and irrigated crops grown in deserts. Our forests are burning in the West because of poor conceived fire suppression policies. The extinction of species is by all accounts accelerating. We are in the middle of a pandemic during which half the U.S. population refuses to believe that a vaccination is the solution. And we are just beginning to understand that the "climate change deniers" are entirely motivated by politics not science.
Marston Bates comes across as a fairly progressively minded man in The Nature of Natural History. Horn believes that if he were alive today, he would have mended his ways regarding sexism and evolutionary purpose. Given the humanity that Bates expresses numerous times throughout his narrative, I'm inclined to agree with Horn.
July 2, 2017
I'd highly recommend this book for people fascinated by natural history, environmental education, or the history of science. It reads like a series of lectures for an introductory course by a brilliant professor. The author's opinions and insights into natural history as a field of science are enlightening and thought-provoking. It seemed as though I was reading something written in the last decade, but I knew the book was older. Still, I was stunned to check and find the book was originally written in 1950.
A three star ranking may seem inconsistent with my comments. However, for those with any background in biology, most of the early chapters in the book were too basic and not necessary. I nearly put the book away, unfinished, several times. It was the last 30-40 percent of the book that I found stimulating.
A three star ranking may seem inconsistent with my comments. However, for those with any background in biology, most of the early chapters in the book were too basic and not necessary. I nearly put the book away, unfinished, several times. It was the last 30-40 percent of the book that I found stimulating.
July 3, 2023
wonderful survey of zoology and ecology, was decently paced at 280 pages
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews