See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

6 used & new from £6.98

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Sex, Botany and Empire: The Story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks
 
 

Sex, Botany and Empire: The Story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks (Hardcover)

by Patricia Fara (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


3 new from £6.99 3 used from £6.98
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (New edition) 8 used & new from £18.46
Paperback 4 used & new from £7.00

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Linnaeus: The Compleat Naturalist

Linnaeus: The Compleat Naturalist

by Wilfrid Blunt
£4.04
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

by Richard Holmes
5.0 out of 5 stars (8)  £15.00
Joseph Banks

Joseph Banks

by Patrick O'Brian
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £9.49
Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum

Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum

by Richard Fortey
4.1 out of 5 stars (14)  £6.99
The Time Machine (Penguin Classics)

The Time Machine (Penguin Classics)

by H.G. Wells
4.9 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.99
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 180 pages
  • Publisher: Icon Books Ltd (4 Sep 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1840464887
  • ISBN-13: 978-1840464887
  • Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 11.4 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 623,497 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #15 in  Books > Science & Nature > Research & Development > Nomenclature & Classification

Product Description

Observer
"Absorbing"

Good Book Guide
"Enticing.with a sharp eye for 18th-century mores, this is an engrossing exploration of the growth of the British Empire."

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Sex, Botany and Empire: The Story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks
80% buy the item featured on this page:
Sex, Botany and Empire: The Story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks 3.0 out of 5 stars (2)
Joseph Banks
20% buy
Joseph Banks 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£9.49

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars a sad blot on the face of science writing, 27 Sep 2004
I was extremelly dissapointed from the moment I started this book to the moment I finished. Dissapointed that I spent so much money on a book that I took to be informative and interesting, but turned out to be anything but. Dissapointed that it paid such little respect for the lives and work of such great scientists Banks and Linnaeus. And most of all dissapointed for other people reading the book and receiving such a biased and false impression of the history and quality of the study of biology. The subject of sex was pounced upon and sensationalised in a way which indicated the authors own obsession with the subject. It was implied that the basis of taxonomy is flawed and 'dirty' as it relies on the anatomy of plant sexual structures, illuminating the vaste ignorance of the author towards the fundamental fields of biology and taxonomy. This book left me feeling sad at the evident desperation in resorting to sensational 'tabloidism' when trying to sell a book that could never be sold on its historical, scientific or informative value.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars History of science that's fun and accurate, 14 Jan 2005
By Gwen Morris (Hathersage, England) - See all my reviews
This book allowed me to look through Enlightenment eyes and see my two heroes as real people. It wasn't Linnaeus or Banks who eroticised botany as much as a prurient public and media who couldn't receive this system of classification (based on the sexual parts of plants) without endless tittering. If you seek a broader understanding of the period during which these men lived and worked, this short and easy to read book gives a surprisingly detailed account of what motivated Banks (far more than Linneaus who receives short shift) and his place in the Enlightenment and Empire as well as his posthumous status. Fara dissects the book's 14 plates to reveal much about the times, the artists and the sitters. My only complaints are that the book is very short on botany and Linnaeus wasn't given enough space. It's a fun and fascinating read and compliments the more
standard works on the same subject.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]

   


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Joseph Banks and the English...

Joseph Banks and...

Joseph Banks’s name is attached to various plant species around the... Read more

Find similar items

 

More From Patricia Fara

Science: A Four...

Science: A Four Thousand Year History

Science: A Four Thousand Year History rewrites science's past. Instead... Read more
£20.00 £15.49

 

We've Got Converse

Converse
Stock up on your favourite styles with great deals on Converse shoes.

Shop Converse

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates