Plants and Empire
Douban
Colonial Bioprospecting in the Atlantic World
Londa Schiebinger
Sinossi
Plants seldom figure in the grand narratives of war, peace, or even everyday life, yet they are often at the center of high intrigue. In the 18th century, epic scientific voyages were sponsored by European imperial powers to explore the natural riches of the New World and uncover the botanical secrets of its people. Bioprospectors brought back medicines, luxuries, and staples for their king and country. Risking their lives to discover exotic plants, these daredevil explorers joined with their sponsors to create a global culture of botany.
contenuti
* Acknowledgments
* Introduction
*"The Base for All Economics"
* Plan of the Book
*1. Voyaging Out * Botanistes Voyageurs * Maria Sibylla Merian * Biopirates * Who Owns Nature? * Voyaging Botanical Assistants * Creole Naturalists and Long-Term Residents * Armchair Botanists * The Search for the Amazons * Heroic Narratives *
2. Bioprospecting * Drug Prospecting in the West Indies * Biocontact Zones * Secrets and Monopolies * Drug Prospecting at Home * Brokers of International Knowledge *
3. Exotic Abortifacients * Merian's Peacock Flower * Abortion in Europe * Abortion in the West Indies: The Colonial Sexual Economy * Abortion and the Slave Trade *
4. The Fate of the Peacock Flower in Europe * Animal Testing * Self Experimentation * Human Subjects * Testing for Sexual Difference * The Complications of Race * Abortifacients *
5. Linguistic Imperialism * Empire and Naming the Kingdoms of Nature * Naming Conundrums * Exceptions: Quassia and Cinchona * Alternative Naming Practices
* Conclusion: Agnotology
* Notes
* Bibliography
* Index
