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authorcagray's review against another edition
3.0
Note to self: Great Courses on audio isn't the best format for me.
That's definitely not the fault of the instructor. This is a dry subject, and Catherine Kleier made it as accessible as it possibly could be. But I have no background in botany, and I'm not an auditory learner; I think in order to truly absorb the information, I'd have needed to schedule time to do nothing but listen and take notes. And I'm just not going to do that for a subject that has no practical application in my life.
That said, I decided to purchase the course after some long hikes in Wyoming, when I thought, I want to learn more about plants, since God created them, and they're so diverse and enthralling when you're immersed in them! It seemed like a way to get to know Him better. A few little nuggets did sink in here and there, but not surprisingly they were the ones for which I already had a framework: the process of photosynthesis and its relevance to ATP production (since I know biochemistry), and a few details from the desert plants segment (since I live in AZ). I finished the book despite the fact that most of it was in one ear and out the other, because every now and then, some little factoid found a place to lodge.
That's definitely not the fault of the instructor. This is a dry subject, and Catherine Kleier made it as accessible as it possibly could be. But I have no background in botany, and I'm not an auditory learner; I think in order to truly absorb the information, I'd have needed to schedule time to do nothing but listen and take notes. And I'm just not going to do that for a subject that has no practical application in my life.
That said, I decided to purchase the course after some long hikes in Wyoming, when I thought, I want to learn more about plants, since God created them, and they're so diverse and enthralling when you're immersed in them! It seemed like a way to get to know Him better. A few little nuggets did sink in here and there, but not surprisingly they were the ones for which I already had a framework: the process of photosynthesis and its relevance to ATP production (since I know biochemistry), and a few details from the desert plants segment (since I live in AZ). I finished the book despite the fact that most of it was in one ear and out the other, because every now and then, some little factoid found a place to lodge.
kittykels's review against another edition
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.5
Some of the jokes were a little corn-y (ha ha) but I didn't mind.
Other than that, the information in this book was really interesting and I think this was a fun starting point to learning about plants. I was reading just for fun, so I can't speak on its usefulness as any sort of study tool for those who are actually studying botany.
Other than that, the information in this book was really interesting and I think this was a fun starting point to learning about plants. I was reading just for fun, so I can't speak on its usefulness as any sort of study tool for those who are actually studying botany.
archaeomancer's review against another edition
4.0
I gotta be honest I nearly stopped reading this several times because of the atrocious puns; maybe I'm just a stick in the mud but a couple times I did pause the book and wonder if I was gonna pick it up again. But it's the end of the year and I'm not close to my goodreads goal so I soldiered on. Besides that it's obvious the lecturer knows her stuff and is really passionate about it! The book was more genetics heavy than I anticipated but that's on me.
childofmongreldogs's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Great way to pass the time. Dr. Kleier does a great job of getting her point across and sharing information on this subject. You can really tell that she has an absolute passion for the subject and its infectious.
sjgochenour's review against another edition
5.0
A good time. Filled with puns. I had a hard time following the Kelvin cycle, but that was probably down to listening at 1.5 speed while working.
Updated 12/9/20: better the second time around! The best lecture is the one about sea grasses and mangroves.
Updated 12/9/20: better the second time around! The best lecture is the one about sea grasses and mangroves.
dancarey_404's review against another edition
3.0
There's a lot of information presented here, and even with my readings on botany over the last couple of years, I found it difficult to absorb all the material in a solely audible format.
dianemagnin's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5
This book was an overview of botany and goes into a variety of topics, which I all found very interesting.
My favourite part about this entire audio course was the lecturer, however. She's was a delight, made jokes about everything, and was clearly very, very passionate about plants. Though some parts were very info dense, I felt like a friend was chatting to me the entire time, so it was easy to keep paying attention.
This book was an overview of botany and goes into a variety of topics, which I all found very interesting.
My favourite part about this entire audio course was the lecturer, however. She's was a delight, made jokes about everything, and was clearly very, very passionate about plants. Though some parts were very info dense, I felt like a friend was chatting to me the entire time, so it was easy to keep paying attention.