Seeking the Ancient through Living Things
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Secondary school or adult readers interested in palaeontology and the history of life's evolution
- Popular science enthusiasts seeking a systematic understanding of the trajectory of life's evolution on Earth
- Readers who enjoy interdisciplinary thinking that combines geological change with biological development
- Self-learners looking for an introductory book that is both scientifically rigorous and readable
Not a good fit for
- Researchers expecting in-depth specialist academic discussion or the latest research frontiers
- Visual-oriented readers seeking large numbers of colour reconstructions or fossil specimen atlases
Reading tips
- Mark the major Chinese fossil sites mentioned in the book on a map to strengthen spatial understanding
- After each chapter, use a timeline to sort out the appearance and extinction events of major biological groups
- Connect the evolution of life with contemporaneous geological and climatic change to understand the co-evolution of environment and organisms
About the publisher
Founded in 1982, Modern Press is a Chinese publisher that serves general readers across a diverse range of subjects. Judging from its catalog, its publishing focuses on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, psychological research and application, popular science, and modern poetry, along with history, biography, and children's books. The Book of Songs, the illustrated vernacular edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, The Complete Poems of Dai Wangshu, and Buddhism in the Vegetable Roots reflect efforts to make traditional culture and poetry accessible; works by Carl Gustav Jung such as The Development of Personality and Understanding Your Psychological Type, together with titles from the Ivy International Education Alliance, show sustained attention to psychology and educational reading; and Stephen Hawking's works and the illustrated two-volume Brief History of Everything and A Brief History of Time indicate a commitment to popular science. Its authors include figures such as Qu Wanli, Xu Ke, Dai Wangshu, and Jung, and its publishing emphasizes retelling classics and accessible, illustrated presentation. Because public information is limited, this summary is based only on the titles in our catalog.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序言
- 生物古记——早期生物学
- 甲骨文中的动植物知识
- 早期动植物地理分布
- 早期的食物链记载
- 早期资源保护的记载
- 归类研究——动植物分类
- 古代的动植物分类
- 《禽经》记载的鸟类
- 南方动植物分类记载
- 药用动植物分类研究
- 园林类植物的研究
- 古代动植物分类专谱
- 菌类研究——菌类的利用
- 古代对大型真菌的认识
- 古代对微生物的认识与利用
- 昆虫研究——昆虫的利用
- 古代昆虫资源开发利用
- 古代昆虫寄生现象研究
- 古代食用昆虫的利用
- 古代治蝗研究的成果
- 近世成就——明清生物学
- 重要植物输入与研究
- 植物图谱与专著的编撰
- 水产动物的研究成果
- 药用动植物学的新发展
FAQ
What distinguishes this book from similar popular science titles?
Does the content cover human evolution?
Is prior biological knowledge required?
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About the author
Xiao Dongfa (1949–2016), whose ancestral home was Tianjin and who was born in Shenyang, was a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, and director of its Institute of Modern Publishing. An important scholar in editing and publishing studies, he focused on the history of Chinese books, publishing history, and yearbook studies. He edited the History of Chinese Editing and Publishing and Chinese Libraries of Book Collecting, and led the National Social Science Fund key project A General History of Chinese Publishing, laying a solid foundation for the organization and narration of Chinese publishing history. Beyond academic writing, he attended to Peking University's institutional history and humanistic traditions, writing works such as Character: From the Imperial University to Old Peking University, Exemplars: Former Residences and Anecdotes of Peking University Notables, and Scenes: Yanyuan Landscapes and Cultural Heritage, which recount campus memories and personal stories with warmth. His works also touch on the four treasures of the study, garden architecture, and academic writing standards. Some 491 of his titles are held in the library, spanning language and culture, biography, and architecture, and combining scholarly rigor with accessible readability.
Yu Haiwen is an author about whom limited public information is available. To date, twenty-nine works have been identified under this name, spanning such categories as architecture, popular science, inspirational growth, history, examination preparation, and culture. Judging from his representative works, his writing combines the communication of knowledge with a sense of exploration. These include readings focused on regional architecture and garden culture, such as Garden Styles: The Characteristics and Famous Gardens of Lingnan Gardens, as well as popular science works for general readers, such as Tracing Ancient Life and Astronomy: Discoveries in Deep Space and The Ocean: The Sea Is Actually Not That Big. He has also produced narrative works on exploration, archaeology, and unsolved mysteries, including Adventure Stories from New Horizons, Exploration: The Realm of Discovery, Archaeology: Decoding the Mysteries of Archaeology, and Disappearance: Mysterious Traces of Vanishing. Overall, his works center on natural and humanistic knowledge, emphasize accessible expression and readability, and are suited to general readers seeking to broaden their horizons.
