Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life

This book presents a rivalry for the ages—the story of two European men’s race to document all life on earth. In the 18th century, Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon, respectively a Swedish doctor and a French intellectual and garden keeper. At the beginning, they say the task as a challenge but not one that was unachievable. As their unique processes evolved, they saw the task grow evermore complex. Both of them had their faults in person and belief, but undeniably left their mark in how we think and conceive of life on earth, even being lead-ups to theories on evolution. The author explores the legacies of these men and their influences, well researched and evincing elegant language, sharing with the reader a story of two intertwined lives and shaped our concept on life in the present.