Centennial History of the Carnegie Institution of Washington: Volume 4, The Department of Plant Biology

Description

From humble beginnings as a small desert laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology has evolved into a thriving international center of plant molecular biology that sits today on the campus of Stanford University. In the last hundred years it has witnessed immense changes in biological thinking, and been at the forefront of innovative research. This fourth in a series of five histories of the Carnegie Institution touches on the tangled beginnings of ecology, the baroque complexities of photosynthesis, the great mid-century evolutionary synthesis and the adventurous start of the plant molecular revolution.

'What makes this book really impressive is how much Patricia Craig, the author, manages to pack into her historical account. ... The book is rich in including unpublished archival photographs; and Craig takes special care to include lesser known figures as well as the luminaries usually associated with the institution ... The book is in fact a nicely comprehensive history that goes far beyond the history of one institution, albeit an important and influential one; it is a comprehensive survey of the development of the plant sciences in the twentieth century. As such, this is a most welcome addition to the history of twentieth century biology.' History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences