Comments | angel80: #6 Patricia Fara, Sex, Botany & Empire: the story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks

angel80

#6 Patricia Fara, Sex, Botany & Empire: the story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks

Mar 12, 2011 18:09

I started reading this book years ago, but found it again a few days ago and read the whole thing through in 2 sesseions. It's quite a short book and, for a scientific ignoramus like me, tells an interesting tale. Linnaeus (1707-1788) was the original botanical inspiration for Banks (1743-1820) and what both had in common was a desire to see ( Read more... )

books 2011, racism, history of science, australian history, sydney, sexism

Comments 6

ironbark March 12 2011, 08:08:35 UTC

I did not know Banks was behind the establishment of the gardens in Kolkata. I visited them when I was in India and was both impressed and disappointed.

They so obviously had the potential to be one of the world's great gardens. You could see the concept and planning that had gone into their establishment. But it stopped there, they were neglected and rundown. Only a few small areas were being well maintained, the majority had almost returned to an urban jungle. (not necessarily a bad thing if it was planned. There was abundant wildlife, especially butterflies and apparently snakes in the long grass. There were also lots of courting couples in the long grass getting a little privacy for some snogging.

The tragedy is that they have not spent anywhere near enough money or effort to maintain them when they are so well placed to be a premier display and research for tropical plants.

angel80 March 12 2011, 08:25:56 UTC

Heh! Maybe the CPI rulers of W Bengal don't care about imperial experiments in botany! Anyway I suspect all that has moved to Monsanto's labs.

I visited the garden at Peredeniya some decades ago and it wasn't like that at all - beautifully maintained, full of exotic (to me) vegetation and (like Sydney) bats.

ironbark March 12 2011, 08:09:51 UTC

Also, the book sounds really interesting. I must see if I can get an ecopy from Amazon.

angel80 March 12 2011, 08:31:26 UTC

Recommended. She puts the boot into the sexual hierarchy :) Linnaeus had difficulties with hermaphrodism and relied a lot on bible stories. Hard to believe that people still use his system!

microbie March 13 2011, 02:58:05 UTC

This is a book that's on my to-read list. I think we ran a positive review last year.

angel80 March 13 2011, 08:37:52 UTC

Easy to read and worthwhile I think - while we're talking about Systematic Biology!