The Botanizers

“Substantial. . . . A good reminder of how much natural history has both reflected and contributed to the American psyche.” — Natural History

“Keeney’s thoroughly researched study offers a rare view of science that incorporates the enthusiastic public as well as the systematists who engaged in and supported botany during the nineteenth century. Like the botanists she studies, Keeney relishes the small details and makes them part of a larger story. . . . The amateur tradition here is credited for its role both in creating new outdoor leisure activity and in contributing to the effort to document the natural history of North America. The book’s well-collected illustrations are a bonus.” — Sally Gregory Kohlstedt, University of Minnesota