The Species Seekers
Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth
20 January 2012
Territory Rights — Worldwide.
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.
