The Wild and the Sown: Botany and Agriculture in Western Europe, 1350-1850 Book

Novotny, the biologist, clearly has an interest in all things geographical, biological, cultural, historical, archaeological, folklore, and all things Guinean and Czech. That's alright. In fact good, really. These days information on so many things are out there in magazines, books, TV, that everybody has multiple interests. Everyone's a dilettante. The trouble with this book is that Novotny makes the book appear exactly in this dabbling vein - quite literally - the chapters are not more than a page and a half-long! Its all interesting stuff on Guinea alright. Strange number systems, legends of volcano bursts, tales of people landing on the ocean coast... but too short (per chapter that is) to make it a good "book". But I must admit that some sections towards the end were quite nice. Its somewhere mid-way through the book that I looked back at the cover, and realized that the author really meant the title! Maybe my expectation killed the experience of his Note-book. Well, its over now! I would really recommend this book to anyone who has been to PNG or is soon expected to go there. Will be great reading on the flight/ship. But others? Hmm..