The species seekers : heroes, fools, and the mad pursuit of life on Earth

The story of bold adventurers who risked death to discover strange life forms in the farthest corners of planet Earth. Beginning with Linnaeus, a colorful band of explorers made it their mission to travel to the most perilous corners of the planet and bring back astonishing new life forms. They attracted followers ranging from Thomas Jefferson, who laid out mastodon bones on the White House floor, to twentieth-century doctors who used their knowledge of new species to conquer epidemic diseases. Acclaimed science writer Richard Conniff brings these daredevil "species seekers" to vivid life. Alongside their globe-spanning tales of adventure, he recounts some of the most dramatic shifts in the history of human thought. At the start, everyone accepted that the Earth had been created for our benefit. We weren't sure where vegetable ended and animal began, we couldn't classify species, and we didn't understand the causes of disease. But all that changed as the species seekers introduced us to the pantheon of life on Earth—and our place within it. The Species Seekers Takes Us Back In Time--before The Words Scientist Or Biologist Even Existed--to An Era When A Popular Fever For The Natural World Swept Through Humanity. Discovering New Species Wasn't A Rarefied Pastime; It Was A Pandemic, A Social Disease That Struck Every Corner Of Society, Claiming Such Notables As Thomas Jefferson, Who Laid Out Mastodon Bones On The Floor Of The White House, And Mark Twain, Who Wanted To Explore The Amazon But Went Bust In New Orleans And Had To Make Do With The River At Hand. Amid Its Tales Of Adventure And Intrigue, The Species Seekers Offers Unmatched Insight Into One Of The Great Revolutions In The History Of Human Thought. At The Start, God Was In Heaven, Man Was The Center Of The Universe, And Everyone Accepted That The Earth Had Been Born Yesterday For Our Benefit. But We Weren't Sure Where Vegetable Ended And Animal Began. We Didn't Know What Species Were, Or That They Could Be Joined By Common Origin. We Had No Method Of Identifying The Causes Of The Pestilential Diseases That Made Death A Constant Companion. All That Suddenly Changed As The Species Seekers Introduced Us To The Pantheon Of Life On Earth--and Our Place Within It.--jacket. Strange Things, Strange Lands -- That Great Beast Of A Town -- Finding The Thread -- Collecting And Conquest -- Mad About Shells -- Extinct -- The Rising -- The River Rolling Westward -- If They Lost Their Skalps -- The Burden Of Specimens -- Arsenic And Immortality -- Am I Not A Man And A Brother? -- Craniological Longings -- A Fool To Nature -- The World Turned Upside Down -- A Primate Named Savage -- Species Men -- Labourer In The Field -- The Slow Power Of Natural Forces -- The Gorilla War -- Big Noses And Short Tea-drinkers -- Industrial-scale Natural History -- The Blessing Of A Good Skirt -- The Beast In The Mosquito -- Why Not Try The Experiment? -- The New Age Of Discovery -- Necrology. Richard Conniff. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 419-434) And Index. This book tells the colorful history of the early naturalists who risked death to discover strange life-forms at the ends of the earth. The Species Seekers takes us back in time -- before the words "scientist" or "biologist" even existed -- to an era when a popular fever for the natural world swept through humanity. Discovering new species wasn't a rarefied pastime; it was a pandemic, a social disease that struck every corner of society, claiming such notables as Thomas Jefferson, who laid out mastodon bones on the floor of the White House, and Mark Twain, who wanted to explore the Amazon but went bust in New Orleans and had to make do with the river at hand. Amid its tales of adventure and intrigue, The Species Seekers offers unmatched insight into one of the great revolutions in the history of human thought. At the start, God was in heaven, man was the center of the universe, and everyone accepted that the Earth had been born yesterday for our benefit. But we weren't sure where vegetable ended and animal began. We didn't know what species were, or that they could be joined by common origin. We had no method of identifying the causes of the pestilential diseases that made death a constant companion. All that suddenly changed as the species seekers introduced us to the pantheon of life on Earth and our place within it. - Jacket flap. "The Species Seekers takes us back in time--before the words "scientist" or "biologist" even existed--to an era when a popular fever for the natural world swept through humanity. Discovering new species wasn't a rarefied pastime; it was a pandemic, a social disease that struck every corner of society, claiming such notables as Thomas Jefferson, who laid out mastodon bones on the floor of the White House, and Mark Twain, who wanted to explore the Amazon but went bust in New Orleans and had to make do with the river at hand. Amid its tales of adventure and intrigue, The Species Seekers offers unmatched insight into one of the great revolutions in the history of human thought. At the start, God was in heaven, man was the center of the universe, and everyone accepted that the Earth had been born yesterday for our benefit. But we weren't sure where vegetable ended and animal began. We didn't know what species were, or that they could be joined by common origin. We had no method of identifying the causes of the pestilential diseases that made death a constant companion. All that suddenly changed as the species seekers introduced us to the pantheon of life on Earth--and our place within it."--Dust Jacket