---
product_id: 13123545
title: "The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names"
brand: "john wright"
price: "7411 kr"
currency: ISK
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/13123545-the-naming-of-the-shrew-a-curious-history-of-latin
store_origin: IS
region: Iceland
---

# The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names

**Brand:** john wright
**Price:** 7411 kr
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names by john wright
- **How much does it cost?** 7411 kr with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.is](https://www.desertcart.is/products/13123545-the-naming-of-the-shrew-a-curious-history-of-latin)

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- john wright enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Images

![The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51+3lOaO0VL.jpg)
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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Latin was never so much fun
  

*by P***O on Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2015*

A witty and occasionally uproarious treatment of a potentially dry subject.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Interesting but sometimes too detailed
  

*by M***A on Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2018*

Parts of this, like the first bit, were fascinating and quite humorous (in a nerdy way, maybe). Like this line:  "The 'Linnaean system' is still what people think of on the rare occasions they think about taxonomy at all."  And, of course, all the discussion of strange and humorous Latin names.It was all quite well written, but I did think a few sections were too slow and detailed for the average layman.  I learned a lot (though there was so much information I'm not sure how much I'll retain, and some left me only with a basic grasp of the topic).Though I know that Latin names for plants and animals sometimes change (I've been researching cactus and a couple of important local species have changed scientific names between the publications of various sources), I've always rather thought of them as consistent, as more reliable than the multiple and changeable and fallible common names.  This book, more than anything, disillusioned me about that.  Well, they're still more consistent than common names, but they're not consistent.  But I guess it's good that our names can bend and change along with our ever-expanding knowledge.I did find it a bit condescending (or maybe just overly academic) when he complained about so many cultures and scientists in the past classifying plants by unscientific principles such as…gasp…what is edible and what is poisonous and what is medicinal.  Those seem very logical and pragmatic categories to me.  Even now, if I get lost in the wilderness, I'm afraid I'd rather know what's edible than which genera are most closely related in the evolutionary tree.I still don't think I'll ever remember more than a few Latin names, despite how much I love nature.  Maybe I should make it my new goal.I recommend this for anyone interested in the topic and unafraid of some deep delving and a LOT of Latin.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Interesting look at classifying life
  

*by S***G on Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2015*

John Wright wrote an interesting book about how the various forms of life got their Latin names. Using anecdotes and humor, Wright lifted the subject out of what could have been a boring book. The classification of life is important, but the methods behind the classification are not well known.  As a university student, I must have memorized hundreds of Latin names but never really gave the science of taxonomy much thought. I am glad that Wright has paid tribute to these scientists. The one thing about the book that I didn’t like is that there was very little said about the microbial world, but as a microbiologist, I might be biased. I recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of science.

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*Product available on Desertcart Iceland*
*Store origin: IS*
*Last updated: 2026-01-25*