PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • An extraordinary account of scientific rivalry and obsession in the quest to survey life on Earth. This engaging and thought-provoking narrative focuses on the theatrical politics and troubling science that shape our understanding of life. WINNER OF THE PEN/E.O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. In the eighteenth century, two contemporaries—Carl Linnaeus, a pious Swedish doctor, and Georges-Louis de Buffon, an aristocratic French polymath—dedicated their lives to identifying all life on Earth. Linnaeus believed in tidy, static categories, while Buffon saw life as a dynamic swirl of complexities. Both men underestimated the vastness of biodiversity, yet their contrasting views on nature and humanity emerged through their efforts. Linnaeus introduced concepts like mammal and Homo sapiens but denied species change and promoted racist pseudoscience. In contrast, Buffon laid the groundwork for evolution and genetics, warned of climate change, and opposed prejudice. Their conflicting worldviews continued to influence biology long after their deaths, as successors vied for dominance in the field. Jason Roberts weaves a sweeping narrative exploring the intertwined lives and legacies of Linnaeus and Buffon, as well as the groundbreaking adventures of their followers, tracing a journey of insight and discovery that spans three centuries.
Jason Roberts Boeken
Deze auteur verkent de grenzen van de menselijke ervaring en creëert verhalen die onze perceptie van de wereld en onszelf uitdagen. Zijn werk wordt gekenmerkt door een diepe interesse in hoe individuen betekenis en verbinding vinden in de vaak onvoorspelbare en onontgonnen gebieden van het leven. Door een scherpe observatiestijl en literair vakmanschap trekt hij lezers mee op reizen die zowel naar buiten als naar binnen gericht zijn, en onthult hij universele thema's als veerkracht, ontdekking en de vloeiende aard van de werkelijkheid. Zijn schrijven biedt een uniek perspectief op wat het werkelijk betekent om de wereld om ons heen te zien en te begrijpen.
Lonely Planet Language Survival Kit: South-East Asia Phrasebook
- 380bladzijden
- 14 uur lezen
Essential words and phrases in Burmese, Khmer, Lao, Malay & Indonesian, Pilipino, Thai and Vietnamese.
A Sense of the World
- 416bladzijden
- 15 uur lezen
When Lieutenant James Holman sailed to Russia in 1822, intent on crossing Siberia on his way to circumnavigate the globe, the authorities of the Tsar arrested him on suspicion of espionage. Their scepticism was understandable: James Holman was blind. This book is a blend of travel, biography and history.
The Politics of Ballot Design
- 166bladzijden
- 6 uur lezen
Engstrom and Roberts show how politicians use ballot design to influence voting and elections. This book is of interest to the broad community of scholars who study elections and to general readers interested in how democratic elections work in the United States.
Im 18. Jahrhundert verfolgten Carl von Linné und Georges-Louis de Buffon unabhängig das Ziel, alles Leben auf der Erde zu klassifizieren. Während Linné Ordnung suchte, sah Buffon das Leben als dynamisch an. Beide scheiterten an der Artenvielfalt, veränderten jedoch unser wissenschaftliches Verständnis der Natur nachhaltig. Jason Roberts erzählt diese faszinierende Geschichte.