The Metamorphosis of Plants, published in 1790, was Goethe's first majorattempt to describe what he called in a letter to a friend "the truth about thehow of the organism." Inspired by the diversity of flora he found on a journeyto Italy, Goethe sought a unity of form in diverse structures. He came to see in theleaf the germ of a plant's metamorphosis--"the true Proteus who can hide orreveal himself in all vegetal forms"--from the root and stem leaves to thecalyx and corolla, to pistil and stamens. With this short book--123 numberedparagraphs, in the manner of the great botanist Linnaeus--Goethe aimed to tell thestory of botanical forms in process, to present, in effect, a motion picture of themetamorphosis of plants. This MIT Press edition of The Metamorphosis of Plantsillustrates Goethe's text (in an English translation by Douglas Miller) with aseries of stunning and starkly beautiful color photographs as well as numerous linedrawings. It is the most completely and colorfully illustrated edition of Goethe'sbook ever published. It demonstrates vividly Goethe's ideas of transformation andinterdependence, as well as the systematic use of imagination in scientificresearch---which influenced thinkers ranging from Darwin to Thoreau and has much toteach us today about our relationship with nature.

This book is on these lists:

• January 2012 Indie Next List
• December 2011 Indie Next List
• November 2011 Indie Next List