Linnaeus: The Compleat Naturalist

I read Linnaeus: The Compleat Naturalist by Wilfred Blunt to learn more about Carl Linnaeus, the “father of taxonomy.” The book is published by Princeton University Press (New Jersey, 2001). It is entertaining and informative; and provides a comprehensive collection of maps, pictures and photos, and writings from those who knew Linnaeus. The reference material, including the bibliography and chronology of Linnaeus, are especially useful.

Linnaeus lived from 1707 to 1778, a time of worldwide exploration and discovery. The new discoveries needed to be classified, and Linnaeus’s classification system and binomial naming system met that need. David Quammen, in his article “Linnaeus A Passion for Order”, observes “you need to recognize that Carl Linnaeus wasn’t simply a great botanist and prolific deviser and memorizer of names. He was something more modern: an information architect.” This book shows how Linnaeus developed his ideas.

Besides learning about Linnaeus's many contributions, I also enjoyed learning about Linnaeus the person. His plant classification was based on a “sexual system” (the number of stamens), something he seemed to take delight in (despite, or because of, the shock it caused). He embraced the creationist view of his time, and felt called to look for and classify God’s natural system in the botanical world. In that pursuit, he was a shameless and effective promoter of his ideas, with just the amount of charm and personality to make it endearing. He was a marvelous teacher and lecturer – skilled at speaking, a mind for detail, and an interest in his students. In the summer, he led botanical field trips from his country house in Hammarby, which were part intellectual pursuit, and part theater and fun.