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Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life

by Lulu Miller

Simon Schuster ·2020 ·225 pages
Near the Top
Near the Top
I Index
57/99
Maybe Someday

36/99

Critics' Rating Index

Near the Top

50/99

Readers' Rating Index

Top of the Pile

84/99

Scholars' Citation Index

66/99

Volume of Reviews

94/99

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About This Book

A wondrous debut from an extraordinary new voice in nonfiction, Why Fish Don't Exist is a dark and astonishing tale of love, chaos, scientific obsession, and—possibly—even murder. David Starr Jordan was a taxonomist, a man possessed with bringing order to the natural world. In time, he would be credited with discovering nearly a fifth of the fish known to humans in his day. But the more of the hidden blueprint of life he uncovered, the harder the universe seemed to try to thwart him. His specimen collections were demolished by lightning, by fire, and eventually by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake—which sent more than a thousand of his discoveries, housed in fragile glass jars, plummeting to the floor. In an instant, his life's work was shattered. Many might have given up, given in to despair. But Jordan? He surveyed the wreckage at his feet, found the first fish he recognized, and confidently began to rebuild his collection. And this time, he introduced one clever innovation that he believed would at last protect his work against the chaos of the world. When NPR reporter Lulu Miller first heard this anecdote in passing, she took Jordan for a fool—a cautionary tale in hubris, or denial. But as her own life slowly unraveled, she began to wonder about him. Perhaps instead he was a model for how to go on when all seemed lost. What she would unearth about his life would transform her understanding of history, morality, and the world beneath her feet. Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, Why Fish Don't Exist reads like a fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail.


Reviews

"A quirky wonder of a book."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"In this engrossing narrative, she crafts a memorable portrait of a man whose success in legitimate scientific pursuits fortified him as he embraced eugenics, a cruel ideology about the supposed hierarchy of humanity."

Kevin Canfield· The Chicago Review of Books Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Part biography, part natural history, and part memoir with the intrigue of a murder mystery, this slim work is also a philosophical exposition on the human inclination to make order out of chaos ..."

Diana Hartle· Library Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Leavened by a healthy dose of self-irony, Ms."

Christoph Irmscher· The Wall Street Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Gripping, and sure to be on readers' minds long after the final pages."

Courtney Eathorne· Booklist Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Jordan is a fascinating figure, but Miller's rapid shifts in subject and perspective result in a frustratingly disjointed work."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Maybe Someday

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