A Gathering of Wonders: Behind the Scenes at the American Museum of *Natural* History

By Joseph Wallace

Book Overview

Since it was founded in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History has stood as one of the world's greatest repositories of scientific information and investigation. This delightful book takes us behind the exhibits and shows us some of the great researchers and fabulous objects from the Museum's past and present, ranging through every department and focusing on fabulous tales and fascinating objects, both small and large, including: * the famous Oviraptor eggs unearthed in the Gobi desert. * the stunning new Hall of Biodiversity, whose trees hold 411,000 model leaves * the 563-carat Star of India sapphire and the 632-carat Patricia emerald * Katharine Burden's hunt for the Komodo dragon : "Women Huntress Revolts Against Playing Safe - Kills Huge 'Malay Dragon' " * the epic saga of the huge blue whale model This book offers a backstage tour through the halls and history of the Museum, venturing into ornithology, invertebrates, zoology, entomology, herpetology, and other disciplines, celebrating the treasures and the scientists responsible for bringing them to the light of day. Museum-goers will find their enjoyment enhanced by the wonderful anecdotes and insights, and armchair travelers will find the back-scenes tour enriching and enlightening.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312252218
• ISBN13: 9780312252212
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Very Interesting, Especially....

This is a very interesting book, especially if, as most New Yorkers, the book's author included, you spent a lot of time at the Natural History Museum as a kid. Who would know of all the goings on there over the decades if someone didn't take the time to research it and get it all out there for you? The best thing about the book it that its an easy read-- nothing is dived into too deeply and the book moves fairly quickly from one story to another, each very different. The museum obviously must have many stories; for instance I noticed there was no reference to the famous Vladimir Nabokov who worked there, and the scientists at AMNH who finished his fascinating work on butterflies-- told in an entire, intriguing, book "Nabokov's Blues" only this year. But there are good sections on other celebrities connected to the museum, Margaret Mead, Roy Chapman Andrews etc. and many more recent or, accept to scientists, more obscure scientists and explorers. Thus, the book appears to have been somewhat selective in its topics, but a big history undoubtedly dictated this. Another good thing about the book its that it weds themes to stories; you get your share of conservation and other required awarenesses here. If the Natural History museum has always fascinated you, you'll enjoy this book. Re the museums history, keep in mind the Nabokov's Blues story above and, for kids, the writings for youth done by Roy Chapman Andrews-- Quest in the Desert; Quest for the Snow Leopard. These are classics and also full of memorabilia about the museum.