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

This is the best book I’ve read in a long time. Beautifully written… very interesting play between personal story and historical science writing.

Well, I've now purchased this book 8 times- after reading it myself, sharing with roommates who both asked for their own copies, and as gifts for various people that I think would love it just as much as me. Maybe the message just felt more relevant in the midst of all the chaos of 2020, but regardless this is one that has earned a place of honor on my bookshelf. Wow. Just wow. After falling in love with Lulu Miller’s Invisibilia podcast while going through my own existential crisis (read: navigating my mid twenties living alone in a new city), it would have been impossible for me to ignore this book. That being said, I knew I was potentially setting myself up for disappointment, going into it with nothing other than sky high expectations- but let me tell you, Why Fish Don’t Exist did not disappoint! From the myriad of glowing reviews, I assumed this book would read like an episode of Invisibilia- exposing some quirky scientific fact or theory, leaving the reader with some cool trivia factoids about science, maybe a heartwarming observation about human nature. But it was SO much more than that. Lulu Miller manages to juxtapose a dark sense of nihilism against our base human tendency to find meaning, order and fulfillment in our short time on this tiny blue marble. I was absolutely blown away with her ability to weave science, history, philosophy and raw personal anecdotes into a witty and cohesive narrative, that kept me turning the pages. Not a single one of these genres takes a front seat, and the philosophy she settles on to view her own life through never comes off as preachy or pushy. The book serves as an honest and open look into how one person has grappled with the Big Questions, and I found it immensely relatable. My only regret is that I may have finished it in one sitting.

Why Fish Don’t Exist; as mentioned above in one of the longest write-ups I have read for such a small book, is a book from the NPR reporter Lulu Miller on David Starr Jordan, a taxonomist who was also the first Chancellor of the Stanford University in California, US. The book starts by simultaneously describing her own personal crisis and then introducing David Starr Jordan, a man born during the mid-19th century in the state of New York, who was highly interesting in observing an understanding nature during his childhood. Considering the author’s personal crisis, she wanted to seek inspiration from the life of David Starr Jordan, whom despite his circumstances, had immense levels of confidence and on the face of any crisis, looked for a solution to make the solution better. However, the more she learned about him, the more she learned of a dark side to his personality and the consequences of his actions. I was initially apprehensive about the book considering I had heard of David Jordan, who was the first Chancellor of Stanford University and also an early proponent of eugenics. However, these fears did not last long as the writer explored all sides to him and it did not lead to unnecessary levels of glorification and in fact, quite the opposite. The book did seem directionless in the initial phases and left me confused if the objective was to talk about herself or if this was a biography of David Starr Jordan. Portraying him as someone beating the odds did not sit well with me considering he seemed very successful at quite a young age. But as it went, I enjoyed reading the book, especially the latter half, where we learn a lot of dark aspects which most are unaware of – like the forced sterilisation programmes that were carried out in the United States inspired by scientists like Jordan. The author also brought about her disillusionment over David Jordan very well, considering his work often involved exploiting the locals in Japan or Polynesia without giving them credit for the ‘discovery’ of the fish, a murder allegation against him, etc. The ending justified the title and was also powerful as the author figures her own way to deal with her personal crisis. And I need to mention here that I loved the illustrations by Kate Samworth at the beginning of every chapter. On that note, I would say that the book was an enjoyable read – has a beautiful cover and good illustrations, to add to the reading experience. Would recommend it as a light read (which deals with a lot of heavy topics) and on that note, I would award the book a rating of four on five.

Eine vielschichtige Geschichte, in der es vordergründig auch um die Biografie des Gründers der Stanford University geht. Mit einer frischen Perspektive, die neben den hochgelobten Wissenschaftler seine wenig menschenfreundliche Haltung stellt. Und sich ausführlich mit Geschichte und Sinn der Klassifikation von Lebewesen beschäftigt. Lehrreich, klug und bis zuletzt spannend.

A scientific read that quickly turns into a human emotions reflection