Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany

By: Catherine Kleier, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Catherine Kleier

In Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany, Dr. Catherine Kleier invites us to open our eyes to the phenomenal world of plant life and to the process she calls “Natura Revelata”, the joy of celebrating and learning from the secrets of nature.

As Dr. Kleier shares her knowledge with contagious excitement for her subject, she emphasizes the middle ground: Instead of focusing on cell microbiology or the study of ecosystems and habitats, she stresses the basic biology, function, and the amazing adaptations of the plants we see all around us. Dr. Kleier proposes and establishes that there is pleasure to be found in being able to identify and understand the workings of that tree outside the window.

With almost 400,000 known species and thousands more identified every year, the variety of plant life is almost overwhelming - from the microscopic to the largest organism on Earth. In this course, you will learn about the fascinating adaptations that have allowed plants to thrive in almost every corner of the world and the unique plants that have evolved as a result.

You’ll learn about the latest discoveries regarding plant communication, the myriad ways they manage and shape their own environments, and why botanists are still debating what it really means to be a unique species.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 The Great Courses (P)2017 The Teaching Company, LLC

good info

good info, but many instances of being shown something that you can't see. it detracts from the experience. fortunately lots of the I fo doesn't need visual aids, it's just frustrating to hear "what you'll see here" when there is nothing to see.

Very informative but be prepared for some corny jokes!

The first chapter I listened to, I wasn’t sure if I could listen to the narrator for the entire length of the book but happily, she grew on me & by the end, I was very satisfied with what I learned, with a few chuckles along the way. But I will say if you find yourself one of those people that get annoyed with people’s voices easily (like my husband) &/or can’t stand corny jokes, then I would say not to bother with this title. Otherwise, excellent 5 stars all around!

great course

only weak moment was totally unnecessary citing of a super eurocentric, American exceptional, ie racist work of history to to add to an point that didn't need the support. Diamond ? really? otherwise I learned a ton and found the corny / cheesy wit fun and funny .... a great course for an already educated person getting into botany.

an enthralling look in to plant science

I really enjoyed this audio book. I'm a plant biologist in Los Angeles that just wanted to catch up on some things during this pandemic, and this book really helped me rekindle my love for some of the finer aspects of botany. great story telling and use of scientific concepts that are easily explained. this book flows extremely well.

The voice!!!!!!

I love plant science and there was lots of interesting information in this course, but the narrator’s voice makes my brain hurt. Could you maybe have chosen a professor who is pleasant to listen to?!

I enjoyed it

I learned a lot! If you want a sweeping intro to plants, this is a good one to go with. It's a lot of information, but she does an excellent job of circling back and reinforcing information.
Very well organized. I walked away with a good general sense of it all and some excellent fun facts.

2 notes:

1) This would benefit from a PDF attachment. I spent a lot of time googling plants to get a glimpse of even some of what she mentions
2) She is an incredibly corny prof. In person, I'm sure it's effective, but on audio it was a annoying. Not enough to stop listening but enough that I wished she just wouldn't.

Excellent!

This review was so enjoyable. Full of great examples and stories and great puns. Having a background in biology will help in some lectures in particular but others are totally accessible without any background and she does a good job laying a foundation for important vocabulary and big ideas.

Great for beginners.

This lecture series covers the same material as my college botany course. Cringe worthy puns and a passionate delivery made it far more interesting. Using plain language and accurate terminology makes it perfect for beginners. Loved it! Will be listening to it again.

great listen

informative but the reviews that say some parts need pictures... Now I understand you. and that's it.

Very knowledgeable but...

VERY fond of the sciencey version of dad jokes. I found that her frequent jokes almost took away from her content.