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A review by emilily
Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Wow... this is one of those books that cannot be described in a way that does it justice.
On the surface, this book may seem like it's about David Starr Jordan, and his dark legacy as an ichthyologist-turned-eugenicist (and maybe also murderer?). But in truth, it is so much more. This book is about human knowledge, its limitations, and the evolution of how we understand the world around us. With traces of philosophy, memoir, nature writing, historical critique, and sociology, there is something in this beautifully hopeful book for everyone. And yes, it will make you reconsider if fish actually exist (I have been converted to believing they don't).
On the surface, this book may seem like it's about David Starr Jordan, and his dark legacy as an ichthyologist-turned-eugenicist (and maybe also murderer?). But in truth, it is so much more. This book is about human knowledge, its limitations, and the evolution of how we understand the world around us. With traces of philosophy, memoir, nature writing, historical critique, and sociology, there is something in this beautifully hopeful book for everyone. And yes, it will make you reconsider if fish actually exist (I have been converted to believing they don't).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma