Every Living Thing

A thrilling account of a centuries-old rivalry - an exploration of scientific discovery and its evolution in an ever-changing and displaced world.

Barely a dozen letters of the alphabet suffice to categorize every star in the cosmos, but when it comes to naming and classifying living things, the job gets more complicated. As Jason Roberts reveals in this vibrant scientific saga, taxonomists take up their mission with a mix of insight and foresight, colored by their moment in history, not to mention their foibles, their vanity, and their all-too-human prejudices. The thousands of definitive two-part labels given to plants and animals since the 18th century tell a story at once important, outrageous, enlightening, entertaining, enduring, and still evolving.

A lively, panoramic contribution to the history of science.

Illuminating . . . an enthralling look at a pivotal period in the history of biology.

Jason Roberts brings an amazing episode in the European scientific enlightenment of the 1700s to life in following the entwined careers of Buffon and Linnaeus. Naming all the species on Earth was their aim, and these two very different, brilliant polymaths progressed a long way in their aims. Jason Roberts strides confidently through a great sweep of history, introducing all the characters with verve and humour

Absorbing and lucidly written . . . In this fascinating and constantly surprising book, Jason Roberts brilliantly mines the philosophical and practical differences between the two men, demonstrating how de Buffon, although eclipsed by his rival in later centuries, may have the last laugh.

Gripping

A tale of scientific rivalry and the race to categorise all life on Earth. Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon never met. But by the middle of the 18th century both were famous-and at loggerheads. Thanks to its surprising twists and turns, this book is an unnaturally good read.

An epic account of an impossible scientific undertaking and a rare blend of deep research, page-turning storytelling, and the beauty of the natural world . . . Every Living Thing brings history to vivid life and animates an essential story with an ever-present sense of wonder

Roberts has such a keen eye for colourful detail that Every Living Thing is never dull (I commend to your attention his account of Buffon, Benjamin Franklin and the decaying moose) . . . He is also a superb historian of
science who in the last section of his book brings the story of the naming of species engagingly up to date

Fluent and engaging

Skillful

Jason Roberts is the author of the national bestseller A Sense of the World, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, and named a best book of the year by the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. The winner of the Van Zorn Prize for fiction (founded and awarded by Michael Chabon), he is a contributor to McSweeney's, The Believer, The Rumpus, and other publications, as well as editor of the bestselling 642 Things to Write About series. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.