The Species Seekers
Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth
20 January 2012
Description
"This beautifully written book has the verve of an adventure story." —Wall Street Journal
From the mid-eighteenth century to the early twentieth, a colorful band of amateur naturalists explored the most perilous corners of the planet to discover new life-forms. Amid globe-spanning tales of adventure, Richard Conniff recounts a dramatic historical shift, as humans finally discovered the pantheon of life on Earth-and our place within it.
Reviews
"An anecdotal romp through the strange history of naturalism. Absurd characters, exciting discoveries, and fierce rivalries abound." — Outside Magazine
"An enduring story bursting at the seams with intriguing, fantastical and disturbing anecdotes." — New Scientist
"[Conniff] chronicles two centuries of adventure, and at the same time illustrates important developments in human thought." — Christian Science Monitor
"A swashbuckling romp…brilliantly evokes that just-before Darwin era." — BBC Focus
"[This] history of the ‘great age of discovery’ is spellbinding." — Publishers Weekly
"[Conniff’s] enthusiasm for his subject and admiration of these explorers is infectious…an entertaining survey." — Kirkus Reviews
"Modern biology and medicine would not be what they are today if not for the death-defying naturalists who set out to travel the world and find new species. In The Species Seekers, Richard Conniff creates a marvelous rogues’ gallery of these brave, sometimes reckless heroes of taxonomy, full of surprising tales of gorillas, platypuses, and disease-laden mosquitoes." — Carl Zimmer, author of Parasite Rex
"A marvelous tribute to the age of wonder." — Bernd Heinrich, author of White Feathers and Racing the Clock
Also By: Richard Conniff 
The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide
E Book, 2012
A tantalizing, droll study of the idiosyncratic existence of the very rich, through the unexpected lens of the naturalist.
Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time: My Life Doing Dumb Stuff with Animals
Paperback, 2010
"Hilariously informative…This book will remind you why you always wanted to be a naturalist." —Outside
Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time: My Life Doing Dumb Stuff with Animals
E Book, 2010
"Hilariously informative…This book will remind you why you always wanted to be a naturalist." —Outside
Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time: My Life Doing Dumb Stuff with Animals
Hardback, 2009
An award-winning nature writer takes us on a thrilling journey deep into the domains of strange—and often dangerous—animals.
The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide
Paperback, 2004
A tantalizing, droll study of the idiosyncratic existence of the very rich, through the unexpected lens of the naturalist.
