Faith in a Seed: The Dispersion Of Seeds And Other Late Natural History Writings (A Shearwater Book)

Thoreau, Henry D.

ISBN 10: 1559631813 / ISBN 13: 9781559631815

Published by Island Press, 1993

Gently read. May have name of previous ownership, or ex-library edition. Binding tight; spine straight and smooth, with no creasing; covers clean and crisp. Minimal signs of handling or shelving. 100% GUARANTEE! Shipped with delivery confirmation, if you're not satisfied with purchase please return item! Ships USPS Media Mail. Seller Inventory # OTV.1559631813.VG

Synopsis:

An anthology of Thoreau's later writings on natural history--including The Dispersion of Seeds, which draws on Darwin's theory of natural selection--discusses the role of seeds and seed dispersal in the ecological succession of plant species.

Reviews: At his death in 1862, naturalist Thoreau left behind a dozen notebooks and other materials. From those hard-to-decipher handwritten pages, Dean, the editor of the Thoreau Society Bulletin , has rescued an unexpected treasure--Thoreau's scientific study of how one plant species succeeds another through seed dispersal. The book includes several shorter pieces, but "The Dispersal of Seeds" is what will lure Thoreau buffs and students. The philosopher of Walden emerges as a dedicated scientific observer, revealing how wind, weather and animals move seeds about to produce new plants. Specialists will appreciate the perspective this book gives on Thoreau's place in the science of his time, refuting as he does the then-prevalent notions of immutability of species and the spontaneous generation of plants. The real treat is for general readers: a chance once again to hear Thoreau's precise, wonderful voice as he roams his beloved woods and finds "the very earth itself as a granary and a seminary." The book is a dazzling debut for Island's Shearwater imprint. Illustrated.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The first--and no doubt final--Thoreau book of the century. Little more needs to be said (and, from the extensive press coverage, most Kirkus readers are probably aware that the material was sifted out by Thoreau scholar Bradley P. Dean from among hundreds of pages of field notes that the Concord sage left behind). But we'll add that, in addition to its keystone, The Dispersion of Seeds--one of the author's last projects, a manuscript of luminous natural-history writing about the genesis, life, and fate of seeds, as well as about conservation--the volume also contains two shorter, reclaimed Thoreau pieces, plus copious notes by Dean and a lengthy, engaging introduction by Thoreau scholar Robert D. Richardson, Jr. Compared to Walden, this may be minor Thoreau--but its publication is still a major, and happy, literary event. (Sixty b&w illustrations) (First printing of 25,000) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

For Thoreauvians, botanists, agriculturalists, and scholars of 19th-century America, this book represents nothing less than a triumph of editorial skill and integrity over conventional wisdom. A study of plant ecology using Darwinian theory, Faith in a Seed is one of the more interesting books published in our time, so felicitously does it give readers a fresh dose of all that makes Thoreau such a major figure in American letters. The holograph of The Dispersion of Seeds , Thoreau's last major project (as well as the manuscript of Wild Fruits, selections of which appear here along with two other writings probably intended for the title volume) was dismissed by most of the scholars who even knew of it as being taxonomically suspect, uninterestingly concrete, and "best left unpublished." How wrong. It is, in fact, the book that latter-day Thoreau admirers have often wished he had written: sensual, acute, intricate, and altogether fascinating, a text that should cause scholars to reevaluate their assessment of an important writer. A fundamental acquisition for all collections.
- Mark L. Shelton, Athens, Ohio
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Faith in a Seed: The Dispersion Of Seeds And...
Publisher: Island Press
Publication Date: 1993
Binding: Hardcover
Illustrator: Rorer, Abigail
Condition: very_good