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toad_maiden's review against another edition
3.0
This is such a cool idea for a book: it teaches biology and earth science through the conceit of the cabinet of curiosities, with particular attention paid to collection and preservation practices. It is a beautifully designed book, with clear and solid instructions for collection and beautiful illustrations; I would have eaten this up as a child. Unfortunately, I felt that sometimes the information was not quite as thorough as it could have been, and that there were gaps in the "narrative" that left me flipping back and forth through the book, trying to find information that wasn't there. There was also not nearly enough discussion about the ethics of collection, which I feel is necessary in a book of this sort. This could have been a truly exceptional introductory science textbook, but I found in the end that it was merely a sort of novelty itself.
deltadogwood's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. Not only is it a beautiful book, but it has information on how to build and store a nature collection properly, from rocks and shells to bones and bugs. Some of it would be great for children, but some of the instructions are definitely more advanced for older collectors and readers. The age range given by the publisher is 8-18. Either way, this book is one that I not only appreciate using myself (as someone in her 30s), but something I can see myself referencing and using projects from when I have my own children.
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