MENZIES, Nicholas K. Ordering the myriad things: from traditional knowledge to scientific botany in China.

Nicholas Menzies's book, "Ordering the myriad things: from traditional knowledge to scientific botany in China," provides a comprehensive history of modern botany in China. The book explores how traditional Chinese plant knowledge interacted with Western botany, resulting in a significant shift in understanding. Menzies emphasizes the need to contextualize this history within the intellectual dynamics of the time and challenges the linear teleological narrative often associated with scientific progress. The book covers various topics, including the definition of plants and botany, the role of expeditions, the challenge of taxonomy, and the contributions of Chinese botanical illustrators. While some topics may receive more attention than others, the book offers a valuable contribution to the study of botany in China and raises thought-provoking questions for historians of natural history. [Extracted from the article]