Suppose you went to a museum and didn't know what it was. The author muses on the word 'museum', on why and how people collect things, on different kinds of museums, on their contribution to science and on the notion of classification. She examines the Elgin Marbles, famous fakes, the dodo, and some great collectors.Suppose you went to a museum and didn't know what it was. The author muses on the word 'museum', on why and how people collect things, on different kinds of museums, on their contribution to science and on the notion of classification. She examines the Elgin Marbles, famous fakes, the dodo, and some great collectors.