“Grasp the subject, the words will follow.” —Cato the Elder

“Enlightening…an enthralling look at a pivotal period in the history of biology.”
—Publishers’ Weekly

Engaging and thought-provoking…focused on the theatrical politics and often deeply troubling science that shape our definitions of life on Earth.”
—New York Times

A lively, panoramic contribution to the history of science.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“A fluent and engaging account of the 18th-century origins of Darwinism before Darwin.”
—Wall Street Journal

“A vibrant scientific saga…at once important, outrageous, enlightening, entertaining, enduring.”
—Dava Sobel, author of Longitude

Amazon Editor’s Pick—Best Books of the Month

Hello. I’m a writer of narrative nonfiction and fiction. My latest book is Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life, now available from Random House (US), Doubleday (Canada), and Quercus/Riverrun (UK). I’m also the author of A Sense of the World, available in several editions and translations. Puppies are nice, but old dogs have a dignity we could all learn from. You ever know an old dog that didn’t have dignity? Anyway, nice of you to visit. Feel free to poke around.