Under The Microscope

LIFE OF PLANTS, by Martin Hanson; Longman Paul, 1994; ISBN 0582 86084 9; $21.95

Reviewed by Donald Reid

Martin Hanson in his book The Life of Plants clearly has a passion for plants, and feels they are neglected in comparison to the warm and fuzzy animals that the public perceive as representing biology. Not completely in the genre of the coffee-table gardening book, it is readable and stimulating enough to browse, yet clearly aimed at an educational market.

The preface states, "biology has too long placed an emphasis on vocabulary at the expense of ideas and explanations. Technical terms are, or should be, merely handles to convey underlying ideas, and as such should be kept to a minimum". This is very true, and the book does an admirable job of achieving this difficult goal, in part by the extensive use of graphics.

Visual aspects vary for effective communication. Some graphics are simply reproductions of clear, precise line drawings from classical texts, which haven't dated at all. Some are without labels but benefit as a consequence -- the simplicity encouraged me to compare them with live specimens. The use of scanning electron microscope pictures is a particular strength, and really steals the show -- few texts have taken so much advantage of this technology. The photographs of tissue sections, although effective, look wan by comparison. Colour photographs of native plants, although obligatory, are often difficult to present well because forest growth can appear as cluttered, but the centrespread succeeds very well and supports the format of the book.

Excellent use is made of various graphical techniques to disseminate information, some of which is particularly refreshing, controversial and stimulating. Do labs really have higher carbon dioxide levels than the average location?

The extension work for students is usually further reading to augment the topic, rather than a significant challenge to able students. One irritation does occur with some of the short tests, where the answer requires matching letters with letters, leading to a confusing sequence -- (a) C, (b) E, (d) A... -- which could have been avoided by using the more familiar letters and numbers. Model answers are provided.

Donald Reid is a secondary school teacher living in Leeston.