The botanic garden
About this book
One of the first popular science books, the intent of The Botanic Garden is to pique readers' interest in science while educating them at the same time. By embracing Linnaeus's sexualized language, which anthropomorphizes plants, Darwin makes botany interesting and relevant to his readers, but his reliance on conventional images of women when describing plants and flowers reinforces traditional gender stereotypes. Darwin emphasizes the connections between humanity and plants, arguing that they are all part of the same natural world and that sexual reproduction is at the heart of evolution (ideas that his grandson, Charles Darwin, would later turn into a full-fledged theory of evolution). This evolutionary theme continues in The Economy of Vegetation which contends that scientific progress is part of evolution and urges its readers to celebrate inventors and scientific discoveries in a language usually reserved for heroes or artistic geniuses.
Reader Profile
3.8/5 · 4 readers · 278 pages · ≈ 5 h 09 m · Demanding
How long does it take to read The botanic garden?
About ≈ 5 h 09 m — 278 pages, assuming roughly 250 words per page at 225 words per minute.
How many pages is The botanic garden?
278 pages in its most-read edition.
What genre is The botanic garden?
It sits on the Science, Poetry shelves.
Is The botanic garden in the public domain?
Yes — it is free to read and share.
Where does The botanic garden take place?
It takes place in 18th Cent.
Who wrote The botanic garden?
Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802).
Where can I read The botanic garden online for free?
It is in the public domain — read it free on Open Library