Why Fish Don't Exist - Lulu Miller

Why Fish Don't Exist

By Lulu Miller

  • Release Date: 2020-04-14
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4
4
From 176 Ratings

Description

A Best Book of 2020: The Washington Post * NPR * Chicago Tribune * Smithsonian

A “remarkable” (Los Angeles Times), “seductive” (The Wall Street Journal) debut from the new cohost of Radiolab, Why Fish Don’t Exist is a dark and astonishing tale of love, chaos, scientific obsession, and—possibly—even murder.​

“At one point, Miller dives into the ocean into a school of fish…comes up for air, and realizes she’s in love. That’s how I felt: Her book took me to strange depths I never imagined, and I was smitten.” The New York Times Book Review

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 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 that 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 is a wondrous fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail.

Reviews

  • Life changing!

    5
    By Skylar1ross1
    Lulu Miller is an absolute genius of a writer and a genuine ray of sunshine. Her bubbly spirit and curiosity for life shines through in every chapter. “Why Fish Don’t Exist” was life changing. Through it, I’ve fallen in love with the inevitable chaos of life and have found a new appreciation for humanity. Eloquently written and a true masterpiece. Not so patiently awaiting her next novel!
  • Trash

    1
    By egamelin
    You can learn this yourself. It’s a repetitive book with nothing necessary for you to read. If you want to get the entire point of the book, read a quick caption. It’s equally as boring and minute.
  • I wish I had not bought this

    1
    By Robert Yule
    It is depressing, at least as for as I got.
  • Why Fish Don’t Exist

    5
    By Chriscrutcher
    This book answers questions I didn’t know to ask. A spectacular surprise!
  • An amazing shape-shifter of a book

    5
    By Great Music Luvr
    Memoir, biography, science, murder mystery, philosophy - the writer flows from one genre to another and back so seamlessly, it’s like magic. One of the best books I have ever read.

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