Ordering Life

Karl Jordan and the Naturalist Tradition

By: Kristin Johnson

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Hardcover | 14 October 2012

At a Glance

Hardcover
392 Pages

Age
22+

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 16.0 x 3.0

Hardcover

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Examines the life of prolific taxonomist Karl Jordan in the context of contemporary events and societal trends.

For centuries naturalists have endeavored to name, order, and explain biological diversity. Karl Jordan (1861-1959) dedicated his long life to this effort, describing thousands of new species in the process. Ordering Life explores the career of this prominent figure as he worked to ensure a continued role for natural history museums and the field of taxonomy in the rapidly changing world of twentieth-century science.

Jordan made an effort to both practice good taxonomy and secure status and patronage in a world that would soon be transformed by wars and economic and political upheaval. Kristin Johnson traces his response to these changes and shows that creating scientific knowledge about the natural world depends on much more than just good method or robust theory. The broader social context in which scientists work is just as important to the project of naming, describing, classifying, and, ultimately, explaining life.

Industry Reviews

""There are layers of richness in Johnson's book and readers will doubtless draw their own conclusions for Johnson's pleasong style leads the reader by means of historical narrtive rather than proselytization.""

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