User:Lgoetze/sandbox
Smith was a professor of botany at Wisconsin University and was assigned general supervision of laboratory and quiz sections in its introductory botany course.[1] The available elementary botany textbooks dissatisfied him, and thus he persuaded other staff members to prepare a new text. The resulting book was tested for three years in the introductory botany course at Wisconsin University before being published in 1924. Smith and the co-authors understood that technical vocabulary in a scientific textbook is unavoidable but burdened an introductory student. Therefore, they emphasized avoiding unnecessary scientific jargon to make this textbook as comprehensible as possible.[2]
Smith et al.'s textbook was unique due to its thorough and detailed yet easily understandable writing style. It was larger than many other botany textbooks at the time, including a vast range of topics beyond the scope of most books on general botany.[3] Consequently, the textbook was alternatively known as the "Wisconsin textbook" and was considered one of the most successful modern botany texts. In over a dozen years, it effectively established itself as a standard in the field of botanical teaching. [4][5]
With every new edition, improvements were praised. Integrating physiological and functional aspects with the structural and morphological aspects aided in students' understanding of botany.[6] Additionally, each edition contained new illustrations that were highly accurate in detail and proportion and showed depth and perspective. This was a considerable improvement over botanical drawings in other elementary botany textbooks.[6]
Conversely, A textbook of general botany was criticised by some for its conservative viewpoint in comparative morphology.[7]
"A textbook in general botany" can be found in many libraries worldwide, such as the Maastricht University Library as part of the Special Collections.
- ^ Wiggins, Ira L. (1962). Gilbert Morgan Smith. A Biographical Memoir. Washington D.C.: National Academy of Sciences. pp. 295–296.
- ^ Smith, Gilbert Morgan; Overton, James B. (James Bertram); Gilbert, Edward M. (Edward Martinius); Denniston, Rollin H. (Rollin Henry); Bryan, George S. (George Smith); Allen, Charles E. (Charles Elmer) (1924). A textbook of general botany. Internet Archive. New York, Macmillan Co.
- ^ Matzke, Edwin B.; Trelease, Sam F. (1935). Brown, William H.; Smith, Gilbert M.; Overton, James B.; Gilbert, Edward M.; Denniston, Rollin H.; Bryan, George S.; Allen, Charles E.; Holman, Richard M.; Robbins, Wilfred W. (eds.). "Some New Botanical Text-Books". Science. 82 (2119): 128–130. ISSN 0036-8075.
- ^ "First Glances at New Books". The Science News-Letter. 27 (737): 342–343. 1935. ISSN 0096-4018.
- ^ "First Glances at New Books". The Science News-Letter. 34 (8): 127–128. 1938. ISSN 0096-4018.
- ^ a b "Front Matter". Science. 96 (2488): 213–13. 1942. ISSN 0036-8075.
- ^ Wahl, Herbert A. (1945). "Alternation of Generations and Classification With Special Reference to the Teaching of Elementary Botany*". Torreya. 45 (1): 1–12. ISSN 0096-3844.