BOOK NOTICE

2005·0.36 MB·English

by  Barney Lipscomb

2438 BRIT.ORG/SIDA21(4)
BOOKNOTICE
CharlesBohwh(ed.).AC.S.RafinesqueAnthology.2005.(ISBN0-7864-2147-9,
pbk.).McFarland&Company,Inc.,Box611,Jefferson,NC28640,U.S.A.(Orders:
wwwmcfarlandpub.com,800-253-2187).$45.00,271pp.,17b/wfigures,
7"X10".
Fromthebackc()vcf:-"AmongAmericannaturalists,C.S.Rafinesque(1783-1840)issecondonlyto
Audubonmthepopularinterestliesustains.Thismterestsisdueinparttohiscolorfullifeandpro-
vocativepersonality,butheisalsorememberedfordevismgLatinscientificnamesformoreplants
thananyothernaturalistswhoeverlived-andagreatnumberintheanimalkingdom,aswellThis
passionlornomenclaturehaskepthisnamememorable(somewouldsaynotorious)amongnatural-
ists.Yethistaxonomicwritingsmadeuponlyapartofhisextensiveoeuvre."
ThereareatleastsixpreviousbooksonRafinesquealsoeditedbyCharlesBoewe.Ralinesques
essayscoveredinthisvolumeare1)Antiquities,2)Linguistics,3)Society4)Hducation,5)Public
Lectures,6)PopularScience,7)Phytogcography8)NaturalScience,and9)Metaphysics.
AgreatfanofRafinesquewastheCanadianbornbotanist,iToyd11.Shinners(SMU),RuthGms-
burg,inher2002biographyLloydHcrbeitSbmncvs:ByHioi.scI/discussesShmners'admirationfor
RatinesL|ueTheloUowmgexcerptgivessomeinsightintothelifeofRafinesqueandhismlluenceon
atleaslonebotanist:
"ConstantinSamuelRafines(,|uewasanaturalist,traveler,andwriterBornmConstantinople.
hespentmucholhisyouthmItalyandcametotheUnitedStatesin18f5.Hewasnottrainedin
botany,buthereadwidelyinseverallanguagesandbecamedeeplyinterestedInnaturalhistory
makingimportantcontributionstoichthyologyaswellasbotanyShinnersadiriiredhiswideknowl-
edge,hisvoraciousappetitefordiscoveryandpublication,andespeciallyhiscourageindefending
unpopularpositions.Lackoldiplomacyorganization,andunderstandingoftheirlimitationswere
othercharacteristicsthattheyshared."
ItyouenjoyreadingaboutgreatnaturaliststhenyouwilldefinitelyenjoyBoewe'sAC.S.
RiijIlu-siiucAnthology.—BarneyLipscomb.BotanicalResearchInstituteofTexas,509PecanSlreet,Fori
Worth.TX76102-I060.U.S.A.
SIDA21(4):2438.2005