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How to Tell A Turtle From A Tortoise: A Close Look At Nature's Most Confusing Terms
Synopsis
Its the perennial Thanksgiving are these yams or sweet potatoes that were eating? WaitIs there a difference? How to Tell a Turtle from a Tortoise settles this dispute once and for all and clarifies the meaning of a host of other animal and plant terms that we frequently use but are sometimes confused about. Ranging over 240 frequently misused monikers, author Philip B. Mortenson clarifies the distinctions between the seemingly relatedyet crucially differentsuch as frogs and toads or crocodiles and alligators, and also alerts us to terms, such as camel and dromedary or crayfish and crawfish, which really are different words for the same thing.
The book isnt merely a glossary of commonly misapplied words, however. Filled with fascinating facts about the world, as well as the language we use to describe it, Mortenson narrates the often quirky linguistic history of these troublesome terms and gives us the current scientific consensus on their proper use. Here you will find plenty of curious and amusing tidbits, such as the fact that in Italy scampi is a word for lobster, but in the U.S. the term denotes a popular dish of shrimp cooked in garlic and butter. In addition, we discover that rice is technically a fruit and that hares and rabbits are not rodents, as many people think.
Extensively researched and documented, How to Tell a Turtle from a Tortoise is an entertaining and highly useful reference for language lovers, nature buffs, or simply anyone who insists on getting accurateinformation.
Biography
Philip B. Mortenson studied the philosophy of science at the University of Minnesota. How to Tell a Turtle from a Tortoise is his first book.
Its the perennial Thanksgiving are these yams or sweet potatoes that were eating? WaitIs there a difference? How to Tell a Turtle from a Tortoise settles this dispute once and for all and clarifies the meaning of a host of other animal and plant terms that we frequently use but are sometimes confused about. Ranging over 240 frequently misused monikers, author Philip B. Mortenson clarifies the distinctions between the seemingly relatedyet crucially differentsuch as frogs and toads or crocodiles and alligators, and also alerts us to terms, such as camel and dromedary or crayfish and crawfish, which really are different words for the same thing.
The book isnt merely a glossary of commonly misapplied words, however. Filled with fascinating facts about the world, as well as the language we use to describe it, Mortenson narrates the often quirky linguistic history of these troublesome terms and gives us the current scientific consensus on their proper use. Here you will find plenty of curious and amusing tidbits, such as the fact that in Italy scampi is a word for lobster, but in the U.S. the term denotes a popular dish of shrimp cooked in garlic and butter. In addition, we discover that rice is technically a fruit and that hares and rabbits are not rodents, as many people think.
Extensively researched and documented, How to Tell a Turtle from a Tortoise is an entertaining and highly useful reference for language lovers, nature buffs, or simply anyone who insists on getting accurateinformation.
Biography
Philip B. Mortenson studied the philosophy of science at the University of Minnesota. How to Tell a Turtle from a Tortoise is his first book.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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June 4, 2010
With a title like this, I was really hoping for something more interesting. I love the concept, however this was pretty poorly written and was, well, boring. I feel like the same information could have been delivered in a much more entertaining fashion (the interpreter in me is crying). Also, I often got the impression that the author himself didn't really understand what he was writing about (which might also be why he kept using more technical information than he had to). I suppose this could be a good book to have around as a reference for when your curiosity strikes, supposing of course that you have an okay science vocabulary. I think my favorite thing that I learned is that roses don't have thorns, they have prickles! Thorns penetrate to deeper layers of the stem than do prickles.
BTW, for some shameless self-promotion, if you like reading about animals, check out my blog on wildlife at http://backyardzoologist.wordpress.com/
BTW, for some shameless self-promotion, if you like reading about animals, check out my blog on wildlife at http://backyardzoologist.wordpress.com/
Displaying 1 of 1 review