Publication
Amsterdam Lebowski Publishers 2023
ISBN
9789048867318
Language
Collections
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Nature. Nonfiction. HTML: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 wi… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member forsanolim
I added this to my library hold list and then promptly forgot what it was about; when it arrived, I took a short glance at the synopsis and decided that I must have had some reason for wanting to read it. This is just to say that I didn't know that much about it going in--I hadn't read any reviews,
I thought that this book would be mainly a biography of David Starr Jordan, taxonomist of fish. It was, but it was also a lot of other things: a sort of memoir, and an exploration of Jordan's legacy as a man, far beyond his academic work in fish taxonomy.
I decided to give this a three-star rating, but that rating hides a little bit inside it. Had I stopped reading maybe 80% of the way through the book--to avoid spoilers, I'll just say that I mean probably the bleakest point in the book--I think I actually would have rated it more highly, but the end felt a bit hokey
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hadn't looked at the tags--and I think that that was the best way to go into it. For that reason, I'm going to be extremely careful about what I write in my review, though if you want to know more, a look at the list of reviews will give you more of a sense of some aspects of the book.I thought that this book would be mainly a biography of David Starr Jordan, taxonomist of fish. It was, but it was also a lot of other things: a sort of memoir, and an exploration of Jordan's legacy as a man, far beyond his academic work in fish taxonomy.
I decided to give this a three-star rating, but that rating hides a little bit inside it. Had I stopped reading maybe 80% of the way through the book--to avoid spoilers, I'll just say that I mean probably the bleakest point in the book--I think I actually would have rated it more highly, but the end felt a bit hokey
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LibraryThing member nmele
By all rights, this slim book should get four or more stars, but reading it left me feeling unsatisfied, I'm not sure why. Miller tells two stories, interlocking the biography of David Starr Jordan, prolific and prominent scientist, with her own search for solid ground and joy. Either story would
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make an engaging book, so I don't know why together they left me feeling let down. Miller meticulously researched Jordan's life and works, and she fearlessly tells her own story with power. I'm puzzled, so, 3+ stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
Her life unraveling, a failed suicide attempt, and NPR reporter Lulu Miller finds herself searching for a way out of the chaos of her life. She becomes fascinated with David Starr Jordan, a taxidermist, who spent his life up to then, collecting and labeling fish. He traveled the world to find as
She started researching his life and found more than she bargained for, Jordan was not quite the upstanding person she originally thought. Successful yes, he became the first President of Standford University. He suffered personal losses and continued on. He was though, a believer of eugenics, the pilot program for Hitler's final solution. Some startling information on this program and how long it lasted. He would also become embroiled in a murder mystery.
Part memoir, part biography, part a look at our past history, this was a well written and unusual story.
As far as why fish don't exist, you'll have to read and find the answer yourself.
ARC from Edelweiss.
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many different examples, it was his life's work. A collection he would lose most of in the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. What fascinated Miller was that he didn't give up, he saved what he could, found a new, secure way of labeling and went on. How could a person be that optimistic?She started researching his life and found more than she bargained for, Jordan was not quite the upstanding person she originally thought. Successful yes, he became the first President of Standford University. He suffered personal losses and continued on. He was though, a believer of eugenics, the pilot program for Hitler's final solution. Some startling information on this program and how long it lasted. He would also become embroiled in a murder mystery.
Part memoir, part biography, part a look at our past history, this was a well written and unusual story.
As far as why fish don't exist, you'll have to read and find the answer yourself.
ARC from Edelweiss.
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LibraryThing member albertgoldfain
I liked the tandem biography style. The emotional roller coaster of an invested reaearcher whose subject has a darker side made it a fast nonfiction read.
LibraryThing member FormerEnglishTeacher
I was originally drawn to this book after hearing an interview with its author, Lulu Miller, on NPR’s 1A program. I heard her mention David Starr Jordan, a 19th century biologist and former president of Indiana University and Stanford University. Having earned two degrees from I.U., I knew
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Jordan’s name well since the biology building there is named for him and the “river” (more like an often-dry creek) running through campus is the Jordan River. The story Miller told in the interview recounted the destruction of Jordan’s immense fish collection, much of which he had discovered and named. And this wasn’t the only time his collection bit the dust. So those facts drew me to the book. However, I soon found that Miller is a gifted, and I mean really gifted, writer whose style is likely to be a writing style unlike anything you’ve encountered in fiction or nonfiction. The book was a joy to read. I didn’t intend to learn so much about classifying nature. And, at the age of 70, I didn’t expect to learn so much about life. But I did on both counts, and I thank Miller for that. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gwendydd
This is a charming and surprising book!
It is partly a biography of Daniel Starr Jordan, an early twentieth-century taxonomist who discovered and classified a lot of fish. His life story is very interesting and takes some unexpected turns. It is partly Miller's memoir, talking about her search for
Miller's writing is delightful to read - she uses very poetic language with just a touch of conversational snark. The book is full of surprises, not only about Jordan, who is a fascinatingly complex character, but also about fish, eugenics, and philosophy.
It is partly a biography of Daniel Starr Jordan, an early twentieth-century taxonomist who discovered and classified a lot of fish. His life story is very interesting and takes some unexpected turns. It is partly Miller's memoir, talking about her search for
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meaning in her own life. Miller is fascinated by Jordan's indomitable enthusiasm for his work and his ability to remain optimistic despite a lot of major setbacks in his life. She hopes to find the key to his optimism, and to find meaning in her own life. Along the way, she makes some startling discoveries about Jordan, fish, and herself. Miller's writing is delightful to read - she uses very poetic language with just a touch of conversational snark. The book is full of surprises, not only about Jordan, who is a fascinatingly complex character, but also about fish, eugenics, and philosophy.
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LibraryThing member maryroberta
Excellent blend of memoir, history and science. Managed to bring personal into the story without self-indulgence. Truly enjoyed this one and author reading was also good.
LibraryThing member LisCarey
Lulu Miller, NPR journalist, grew up with a father who taught her that chaos rules everything, that the universe doesn't care about anything or anyone, and that any belief that anything matters is deeply unscientific. I can't imagine why she also grew up to struggle with whether there was any point
This is part memoir, part biography, part history of 19th century science.
Jordan was a taxonomist, eventually credited with discovering a fifth of all fish species known to science in his day. He traveled the world, collected specimens, described and classified them. He became president of a college, and then president of a university. He married, had children, his wife died, he married again, had more children...
He worked very, very hard to impose order on nature, or at least our understanding of it.
His magnificent specimen collections were destroyed multiple times, by lightning, fire, earthquake. He salvaged and rebuilt them each time.
Miller wondered if Jordan could provide the model for a life with positive meaning in the face of chaos. She plunged into a study of his life--reading everything by or about him that she could lay her hands on. She began to believe that a certain amount of self-delusion might be the secret to a happy and successful life. She does find a few instances along the way, things Jordan did that might make him a tad less likeable than he seemed...
And then, in the course of her persistent digging, she finds something that upends everything in the story of David Starr Jordan.
This is a fascinating and engrossing story, giving us an enlightening view of science in the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century There is love, loss, passion, tragedy. The story of David Starr Jordan will kick you in the teeth.
And I can't tell you the worst and best bits, because honestly, I'd be cheating you if I didn't let you get there on your own. You're entitled to that.
Oh, and yes, Miller does tell us why fish don't exist
Highly recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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to her own existence. (It's unlikely that her depression is the result of her father's world view, but honestly, I can't imagine how that helped. To be clear, the issue here is not atheism. It is, specifically, the belief that nothing matters, a belief I have not heard from my atheist friends, acquaintances, favorite scientific writers, what have you.) As Miller moved through her life, education, career, she struggled with the ups and downs of her life and depression--and at some point, discovered David Starr Jordan.This is part memoir, part biography, part history of 19th century science.
Jordan was a taxonomist, eventually credited with discovering a fifth of all fish species known to science in his day. He traveled the world, collected specimens, described and classified them. He became president of a college, and then president of a university. He married, had children, his wife died, he married again, had more children...
He worked very, very hard to impose order on nature, or at least our understanding of it.
His magnificent specimen collections were destroyed multiple times, by lightning, fire, earthquake. He salvaged and rebuilt them each time.
Miller wondered if Jordan could provide the model for a life with positive meaning in the face of chaos. She plunged into a study of his life--reading everything by or about him that she could lay her hands on. She began to believe that a certain amount of self-delusion might be the secret to a happy and successful life. She does find a few instances along the way, things Jordan did that might make him a tad less likeable than he seemed...
And then, in the course of her persistent digging, she finds something that upends everything in the story of David Starr Jordan.
This is a fascinating and engrossing story, giving us an enlightening view of science in the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century There is love, loss, passion, tragedy. The story of David Starr Jordan will kick you in the teeth.
And I can't tell you the worst and best bits, because honestly, I'd be cheating you if I didn't let you get there on your own. You're entitled to that.
Oh, and yes, Miller does tell us why fish don't exist
Highly recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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LibraryThing member keywestnan
This is a wonderfully written book that includes science (mostly biology, specifically taxonomy), history, natural history, biography, memoir, psychology, a bit of philosophy and a pinch of true crime. And it works! I learned a lot and will be thinking about it for some time.
LibraryThing member LindaLoretz
Lulu Miller struggles with finding meaning in life as she tells this story that primarily focuses on her infatuation and obsession with naturalist David Starr Jordan. Jordan was a taxonomist but also a swashbuckler, eugenicist, and possibly a murderer. However, he also played a seminal role in the
Miller conducted much research related to the influences on Jordan’s life and possibly her own. Sections of the book focus on Louis Agassiz, a Harvard professor who believed that species were fixed and unchangeable. Of course, Darwin’s work influenced Jordan when he realized that change was an essential focus of species development. However, Jordan held onto the concepts of hierarchies in species, including the human species. His views, especially those having to do with eugenics, have led to Stanford features, named for him being renamed. A Stanford statue of Agassiz has also been removed from Stanford.
It seems that despite disagreeing with many of his beliefs and theories, Lulu Miller is impressed with Jordan’s ability to bring order to chaos. Additionally, he had an uncanny ability to persevere after suffering significant setbacks in his career and personal life. Miller seems to admire his confidence and resolve. Through extensive interviews about and study of Jordan, Miller gained an appreciation for the fact that although Jordan spent so much of his time naming and classifying them, fish don’t really exist in the eyes of modern taxonomists. Accepting this realization assisted Miller in sorting out her own life.
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development of Stanford University, having been its first president after coming into favor, then disfavor with Jane and Leland Stanford.Miller conducted much research related to the influences on Jordan’s life and possibly her own. Sections of the book focus on Louis Agassiz, a Harvard professor who believed that species were fixed and unchangeable. Of course, Darwin’s work influenced Jordan when he realized that change was an essential focus of species development. However, Jordan held onto the concepts of hierarchies in species, including the human species. His views, especially those having to do with eugenics, have led to Stanford features, named for him being renamed. A Stanford statue of Agassiz has also been removed from Stanford.
It seems that despite disagreeing with many of his beliefs and theories, Lulu Miller is impressed with Jordan’s ability to bring order to chaos. Additionally, he had an uncanny ability to persevere after suffering significant setbacks in his career and personal life. Miller seems to admire his confidence and resolve. Through extensive interviews about and study of Jordan, Miller gained an appreciation for the fact that although Jordan spent so much of his time naming and classifying them, fish don’t really exist in the eyes of modern taxonomists. Accepting this realization assisted Miller in sorting out her own life.
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LibraryThing member breic
A thin book, yet padded. A very shallow and sketchy memoir of her idolization of, and eventual disillusionment with, David Starr Jordan, an ichthyologist and the first president of Stanford. We learn very little about Jordan. But the book is not unenjoyable. I lowered my rating when she said she
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had never heard of the eugenics movement (really?) and then started misquoting scientists to promote her own agenda. In particular, misquoting Darwin is not acceptable. Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
Lulu Miller has a weird fascination with David Starr Jordan, a scientist and naturalist known, among other things, for collecting and cataloging an extraordinary amount of fish, and for being the first president of Stanford University. In particular, she found herself obsessing over a particular
The book that results from this obsession is partly a biography of Jordan, whose life, it turns out, takes some surprising and disturbing turns and ultimately offers up one set of answers to Miller's questions that should very much not be emulated. But it's much more a personal set of musings on chaos and order and how we perceive and categorize the world, and on how we can possibly find meaning in a fundamentally meaningless universe.
I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about any of this at first. It was interesting, for sure, but the thought of Miller perhaps projecting her own issues onto some long-dead scientist felt mildly uncomfortable in a hard-to-pin-down kind of way. I also found her mindset and the exact nature of her philosophical journey a little difficult to connect with at times, as she perceives certain things significantly differently than I do, even if we're kind of starting out in the same place. But the place she arrives at the end of her journey is one I do feel comfortable joining her in, and along the way she weaves together a really interesting and sometimes deeply insightful tapestry of rich and important themes. So I think it's safe to say she won me over.
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incident in Jordan's life, in which thirty years of his fish-collecting career ended up in disarray on the floor after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, each specimen suddenly separated from its label. It's not too difficult to see a broadly applicable metaphor in this instance of a human trying to impose order on a world that, in an instant, can tumble all those efforts into chaos. How, Miller wondered, did Jordan keep going through things like that? What kind of mindset leads to picking your fish up off the floor and sewing the labels back onto the ones you can still identify, instead of just giving up in the face of nature's obvious indifference to your life's work?The book that results from this obsession is partly a biography of Jordan, whose life, it turns out, takes some surprising and disturbing turns and ultimately offers up one set of answers to Miller's questions that should very much not be emulated. But it's much more a personal set of musings on chaos and order and how we perceive and categorize the world, and on how we can possibly find meaning in a fundamentally meaningless universe.
I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about any of this at first. It was interesting, for sure, but the thought of Miller perhaps projecting her own issues onto some long-dead scientist felt mildly uncomfortable in a hard-to-pin-down kind of way. I also found her mindset and the exact nature of her philosophical journey a little difficult to connect with at times, as she perceives certain things significantly differently than I do, even if we're kind of starting out in the same place. But the place she arrives at the end of her journey is one I do feel comfortable joining her in, and along the way she weaves together a really interesting and sometimes deeply insightful tapestry of rich and important themes. So I think it's safe to say she won me over.
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LibraryThing member Katyefk
David Starr Jordan lived in a time of great changes in our thinking about who is really human. (Early 1900's) Eugenics did so much damage to our culture and our regard for each other that we are still recovering from it 120 years later. A powerful piece and worth reading.
LibraryThing member jennybeast
Lulu Miller has a real gift for pulling the reader into a long and winding narrative. I'm really glad I happened to listen to this one as an audio book, because I love her reading, as well. It's a brave and well done exploration of both her personal life and the life of David Star Jordan. I really
Advanced listener copy provided by Libro.FM
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didn't expect all the twists and turns of emotion and connection, but I appreciated them. Advanced listener copy provided by Libro.FM
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LibraryThing member steve02476
I liked the first half a lot, but I thought the second half was a hodgepodge. Lulu Miller is a talented writer and I’ll try out her next book - and I hope she’ll get a better editor next time.
LibraryThing member JudyGibson
An intriguing book but not really about fish. I read it to see if I wanted to propose it for the book club at our natural history museum, but decided it wasn't really a book about natural history. Okay, so what IS it about? Well, that only develops very gradually through this quite readable book.
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Maybe it's about the categories, the order we place on the world, and how they blind us to the wild diversity of human experience. I know that's vague, but I didn't want to go on and on about for example, eugenicists and white supremacists. Show Less
LibraryThing member spinsterrevival
I’ve had a hard time distilling my thoughts about this read as they varied throughout. I was initially bored and couldn’t figure out why the author had interest in this generally unremarkable man (to me at least even if the world at the time thought differently); I pretty much noped out when he
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remarried a college sophomore who sent his kids away, and I’m apparently in the “he’s probably a murderer” camp. But then he became even more evil, and the tale went into horrifying eugenics history of this country, and I wasn’t sure where we were heading at all. The author somehow brought me back around to beautiful words and thoughts and heartbreak and joy; you have to deal with the first sixty percent of the book to appreciate the rest which was gorgeous with some lovely schadenfreude (seriously I hope this guy Jordan is rolling in his grave) thrown in for good measure. Show Less
LibraryThing member librarianlion
I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I was completely hooked by its twists and turns as Lulu Miller investigated the life of taxonomist David Starr Jordan for an answer to coping with the absolute chaos of our existence. I couldn't put it down, and her conclusion is a beautiful reward
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for going on the journey with her. Show Less
LibraryThing member Charon07
This enchanting book is a brief biography of David Starr Jordan, icthyologist, first president of Stanford University, and eugenicist, intertwined with a personal memoir and some philosophical musings on entropy, social justice, and what matters in life. I normally wouldn’t have given two hoots
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about Mr. Jordan, but Lulu Miller framed his concerns with her concerns and made me care very much. I was surprised and delighted to learn that fish don’t exist, but you’ll have to read this little gem for yourself to find out why this is such a life-affirming lesson. Show Less
LibraryThing member KJC__
I wish it covered more on David Starr Jordan instead of the author's own existential quest for meaning. It's a bummer, I liked the guy until it was revealed he was a devoted eugenicist and probable murderer.
Awards
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books (Longlist — 2021)
NPR: Books We Love (2020)
Original publication date
2020-04-14