The platypus and the mermaid, and other figments of the classifying imagination / Harriet Ritvo

By: Ritvo, HarrietContributor(s): Ritvo, HarrietMaterial type: TextTextPublisher number: :International Book Distributors | :Flat No 17, Prakash Apartment 4405/2, 5 Ansari Road Darya Ganj New Delhi:Zafaa Books & Distributors | :313/56F 49A, Anand Nagar Inderlok Delhi 110035Publication details: Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1997Description: xiv, 288 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmISBN: 9780674673588Subject(s): Animals Zoology | Animals -- Great Britain -- Classification -- History -- 18th century | Natural history -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century | Popular culture -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century | Natural History | Popular culture | Great Britain | Names -- historyDDC classification: 590.12 RIT
Contents:
his book captures the fervor of the Victorian age for classifying and categorizing every new specimen, plant or animal, that British explorers and soldiers and sailors brought home. As she depicts a whole complex of competing groups deploying rival schemes and nomenclatures, Harriet Ritvo shows us a society drawing and redrawing its own boundaries and ultimately identifying itself. A thoroughly absorbing account of taxonomy - as zoological classification and as anthropological study - The Platypus and the Mermaid offers a new perspective on the constantly shifting, ever suggestive interactions of scientific lore, cultural ideas, and the popular imagination.
Summary: his book captures the fervor of the Victorian age for classifying and categorizing every new specimen, plant or animal, that British explorers and soldiers and sailors brought home. As she depicts a whole complex of competing groups deploying rival schemes and nomenclatures, Harriet Ritvo shows us a society drawing and redrawing its own boundaries and ultimately identifying itself. A thoroughly absorbing account of taxonomy - as zoological classification and as anthropological study - The Platypus and the Mermaid offers a new perspective on the constantly shifting, ever suggestive interactions of scientific lore, cultural ideas, and the popular imagination.
Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title. Log in to add tags.
Star ratings
    Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Books Books SNU LIBRARY
590.12 RIT (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 28097
Books Books SNU LIBRARY
590.12 RIT (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Not For Loan 28029
Total holds: 0

his book captures the fervor of the Victorian age for classifying and categorizing every new specimen, plant or animal, that British explorers and soldiers and sailors brought home. As she depicts a whole complex of competing groups deploying rival schemes and nomenclatures, Harriet Ritvo shows us a society drawing and redrawing its own boundaries and ultimately identifying itself. A thoroughly absorbing account of taxonomy - as zoological classification and as anthropological study - The Platypus and the Mermaid offers a new perspective on the constantly shifting, ever suggestive interactions of scientific lore, cultural ideas, and the popular imagination.

his book captures the fervor of the Victorian age for classifying and categorizing every new specimen, plant or animal, that British explorers and soldiers and sailors brought home. As she depicts a whole complex of competing groups deploying rival schemes and nomenclatures, Harriet Ritvo shows us a society drawing and redrawing its own boundaries and ultimately identifying itself. A thoroughly absorbing account of taxonomy - as zoological classification and as anthropological study - The Platypus and the Mermaid offers a new perspective on the constantly shifting, ever suggestive interactions of scientific lore, cultural ideas, and the popular imagination.

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.

© Copyright Shiv Nadar University 2012. All Rights Reserved.  Disclaimer |  Sitemap
The Shiv Nadar University has been established under U.P. Act No 12 of 2011. Shiv Nadar University is UGC Approved.