Books Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life  by Lulu Miller (Author)

"Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life" by Lulu Miller is a blend of memoir and science narrative centered on the life of David Starr Jordan, a pioneering fish taxonomist and founding president of Stanford University. The book intertwines Miller's personal reflections on chaos, loss, and resilience with Jordan's relentless pursuit to categorize and bring order to the natural world by discovering and naming a vast number of fish species.

Key themes include:

• The devastation Jordan faced, including a catastrophic earthquake that destroyed years of his work, and his determination to rebuild through innovative methods.
• Exploration of the philosophical and existential questions about order and chaos in nature and life.
• Miller’s personal journey of grappling with loss and searching for meaning, inspired by Jordan’s story.
• The ultimate revelation that the scientific category "fish" is not a valid evolutionary group, symbolizing the impermanence of human attempts to impose order.
• The book encourages embracing uncertainty and questioning established views to find depth and richness in life.