Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification (Great Minds of Science)

Anderson, Margaret Jean

ISBN 10: 0894907867 ISBN 13: 9780894907869

Publisher: Enslow Pub Inc, 1997

Synopsis

Profiles the life of the eighteenth-century Swedish naturalist whose scientific naming of plants and animals provided an international language of nature

About this title

Reviews

Grade 4-8. Well organized and clearly written, although at times stilted, this biography of the developer of binomial nomenclature for classifying plants and animals has easy-to-read, open pages with large print and wide margins. Black-and-white illustrations include portraits of the Linnaeus family and photographs of their homes and the universities in which this Swedish scientist taught and did his research. The narrative includes many anecdotes about his family and experiences with people who influenced his life and work. Much of the book is devoted to his many scientific expeditions collecting and studying plant and animal life and to his teaching career. Simple plant experiments and some examples of Linnaeus's classification system are included. This sound chronological study provides useful report material in a rather bland package.?Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Budding scientists will surely draw inspiration from this biography of Linnaeus, whom Anderson dubs ``the greatest botanist of all time.'' Linnaeus and his world--18th-century Sweden--may seem far removed from most middle-graders' experiences, but Anderson creates a dramatic narrative fully capable of keeping readers enthralled. The elements of Linnaeus's life are used to maximum effect: At nine he was told that he was a hopeless student; as a young man, he perfected his own system of binomial nomenclature used to classify plant life. Throughout the story, Anderson shows how the personal side of Linnaeus's life affected his profession: Although he was beset by financial problems for years, he succeeded as an explorer and scientist, eventually achieving fame and wealth as a college professor with a family of his own. The portrait is accurately rendered, and although Linnaeus is imperfect by 20th-century standards--refusing to educate his daughters and remaining distant from his wife--Anderson finds in his life an upbeat story of a man achieving his dreams. (b&w illustrations, not seen, chronology, notes, further reading, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 11-13) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Enslow Pub Inc
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0894907867
• ISBN 13: 9780894907869
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 128