by Hans Arne Jensen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 3, 2012
Beautiful illustrations and fascinating insight into understanding the role of plants in biblical times.
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Biblical botany meets archaeology with lovely visuals.
Agronomist and botanist Jensen (Bibliography on Seed Morphology, 1998, etc.) brings to an English-speaking audience a translation of his 2004 Danish book, Bibelens Planteverden. The 98 entries cover plants that are mentioned in the Bible and have been found in archaeological digs in Israel and the environs, arranged alphabetically by their English names. Each entry includes the botanical name, the current English name and the name as given in the New Revised Standard Version, Anglicized edition of The Holy Bible. Next comes a miniconcordance of biblical references to the plant, a short botanical description and pertinent archaeological and/or cultural references. Where needed, Jensen discusses translation issues: For example, despite certain translations of Jeremiah 10:5, cucumbers are in fact native to Northern India and their cultivation in Ancient Egypt is not documented. The 20 color images from the Codex Vindobonensis Medicus Craecus I, created from the first to third centuries, benefit from their large, 8.5-by-11 cut size and acid-free paper and are thus particularly interesting because of their date of origin. An additional 111 black-and-white illustrations show botanical details and artifacts from the region that employ botanical elements, such as coins and wall decorations. The book has a detailed, academic approach, including careful annotations for the text and the illustrations, as well as a bibliography and index. Beyond its obvious allure for Bible readers who wish to understand more about the Scriptures’ botanical references, the book will appeal to those interested in botany, archaeology, history and botanical illustration. It would also be a useful addition to the library of anyone interested in the role of plants in folklore.
Beautiful illustrations and fascinating insight into understanding the role of plants in biblical times.Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1456788353
Page Count: 198
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Françoise Malby-Anthony with Kate Sidley ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2023
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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BOOK REVIEW
by Lulu Miller illustrated by Kate Samworth ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2020
A quirky wonder of a book.
A Peabody Award–winning NPR science reporter chronicles the life of a turn-of-the-century scientist and how her quest led to significant revelations about the meaning of order, chaos, and her own existence.
Miller began doing research on David Starr Jordan (1851-1931) to understand how he had managed to carry on after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed his work. A taxonomist who is credited with discovering “a full fifth of fish known to man in his day,” Jordan had amassed an unparalleled collection of ichthyological specimens. Gathering up all the fish he could save, Jordan sewed the nameplates that had been on the destroyed jars directly onto the fish. His perseverance intrigued the author, who also discusses the struggles she underwent after her affair with a woman ended a heterosexual relationship. Born into an upstate New York farm family, Jordan attended Cornell and then became an itinerant scholar and field researcher until he landed at Indiana University, where his first ichthyological collection was destroyed by lightning. In between this catastrophe and others involving family members’ deaths, he reconstructed his collection. Later, he was appointed as the founding president of Stanford, where he evolved into a Machiavellian figure who trampled on colleagues and sang the praises of eugenics. Miller concludes that Jordan displayed the characteristics of someone who relied on “positive illusions” to rebound from disaster and that his stand on eugenics came from a belief in “a divine hierarchy from bacteria to humans that point[ed]…toward better.” Considering recent research that negates biological hierarchies, the author then suggests that Jordan’s beloved taxonomic category—fish—does not exist. Part biography, part science report, and part meditation on how the chaos that caused Miller’s existential misery could also bring self-acceptance and a loving wife, this unique book is an ingenious celebration of diversity and the mysterious order that underlies all existence.
A quirky wonder of a book.Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5011-6027-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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