Every Living Thing By Jason Roberts took me longer to read than the average genre of book I devour, but only because it was so intriguing and I wanted to make sure I absorbed every meticulously-researched detail. I'm sort of a trivia nerd and was even able to answer a final Jeopardy answer with the knowledge imparted upon me from this book!

These are the stories of two 18th century scientific rivals, Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon, who dedicated their lives to identifying and describing all life on Earth, and the impact of their discoveries that extends across three centuries into the present day.

Jason Roberts does a great job simultaneously telling the separate stories of both men on their life's journey with detail and understanding into their scientific reasonings, ideas, and classifications. How these men gave us concepts such as mammal, primate and homo sapiens and introduced the term reproduction, formulated prototypes for genetics and evolution, but also how those choices have impacted or progressed today's world views on such matters in the scientific communities. He even touches on humanity's old and prejudiced classifications of self and the development of racist pseudo-science views that spewed from these misrepresentations.

It was interesting how he tied everything together to help the reader make correlations between past and present. I particularly liked the ending and they way he incorporated more recent discoveries, such as multiple species identification with giraffes, to show how far we have come and how far we still must go to understanding every living thing.

Every Living Thing is a vibrantly told narrative of the early race for classification of the natural world related by Jason Roberts. Released 9th April 2024 by Penguin Random House, it's 432 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

Academic rivalries are certainly nothing new. Here, the author provides parallel biographies of two very well known natural historians/scientists whose compulsion to categorize life on planet earth still resonate down to the present: Georges-Louis de Buffon and Carl Linnaeus.

The book is sparsely but well illustrated throughout, with numerous monochrome facsimile documents, paintings, and photos. The book is also very well annotated throughout, and the chapter notes and bibliography will provide readers with many hours of further reading.

Four and a half stars. This is not a rigorous academic monograph, but quite accessible and entertaining for the layman. It would be an excellent choice for public library, home use, or gift giving to fans of natural history and nonfiction.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life, by Jason Roberts, is a fascinating and (for me at least) eye-opening book detailing the parallel exploration of the natural word by two 18th -century naturalists, one of whom is a (relatively) familiar household name and the other, at least in this household, is not. With these sorts of books, it probably comes as no surprise that it’s the latter who should be better know.

George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon (Count Buffon) and Carl Linnaeus were both born in 1707. Both devoted their lives to the study of nature, both published their theories and discoveries widely, but their approaches could not have been more different. As Roberts writes, Linnaeus was a:
systematist, who prioritized naming and labeling above all other pursuits. Buffon [had] … a more complex approach to nature …. It may best be called complexism … To Linnaeus’s mind, nature was a noun. All species remained as created during Genesis, representing an unchanging tableau. To Buffon, nature was a verb, a swirl of constant change. To Linnaeus, classification was knowledge … Buffon believed that to classify was to oversimplify.

By the end of their lives (Linnaeus died a decade sooner and had withdrawn from public life due to illness even earlier), it seemed that Buffon’s viewpoint had won out. But shortly thereafter, with some help from the French Revolution, Buffon went from being honored to despised while Linnaeus became known as the father of biological classification and naming. Roberts is here to set the record straight, to reclaim the honor for Buffon he is due and place him in his rightful place in scientific history. Readers may be surprised at just how high a place that is. Roberts treatment of Linnaeus is far more harsh, not only pointing out the problematic nature of much of his science and classification but also calling him out for his racist viewpoints and their widespread impact.

Every Living Thing moves as a dual biography back and forth between the two men, tracing their lives from their early days through their parallel careers (which involved not a little direct sparring back and forth) and then to their deaths. One of the best aspects of Roberts book though is how he doesn't end the story with those deaths but instead carries forward, showing us how their influence continued and flip-flopped and then how Buffon was proven to be clearly the more farsighted one, with no less than Charles Darwin, that towering giant of the field, paying him homage, noting upon being introduced to his work for the first time that “whole pages are laughably like mine … I am rather ashamed of the whole affair.”

I confess to being stunned myself at just how visionary Buffon was, considering how he worked in a time of the most rudimentary technology (the microscope had just been invented) and one lacking in scientific contexts and theories (well, correct ones at least). To give a partial sampling, these are some of the arguments Buffon made while constructing his massive 35-volume encyclopedia of nature:
• That the Earth had been around for millennia
• That the sun will die out in the future
• That some species had gone extinct and new ones arisen
• That humans were all one species and could be traced back to a common single species ancestor
• That all species could be traced back to a common ancestor
• That human reproduction had contributions from both sexes and that “there is in Nature a general prototype in each species on which each individual is modeled but which … alter itself or perfect itself according to circumstances”
• That species changed by adapting to their environment and that “These changes are only made slowly and imperceptibly … Nature’s great workman is Time.”
• That Earth went through seven “epochs”, beginning with the planets forming at roughly the same time in the same plane and moving through Earth solidifying, becoming an ocean planet with seas filled with life which then moved to land and eventually separation of the continents.


Beyond the directly correct nature of some of these beliefs — the idea of deep time for instance, or of extinction — it doesn’t take much to read into Buffon’s necessarily simplified and vague concepts the future seeds of evolution, natural selection, and even genetics. Buffon was also ahead of his time in other ways as well, decrying the race-based and racist theory of humanity, arguing for empathy for slaves, and believing in the education of women.

Linnaeus, despite his strong work ethic and a number of botanical discoveries, comes across far worse. He forbid his own daughters’ schooling, sent his “Apostles” as he called them out on collecting missions regardless of their preparation or the dangers of their destinations (a startlingly high number died while on their missions), and sorted humans into racial and deeply racist categories, describing the “gentle, acute, inventive” white Europeans for instance as being “governed by laws” while the “haughty, greedy” Asians were “governed by opinions” and the “sly, slow, careless” African were “governed by whim.” Roberts in fact goes so far as to state that “the modern conception of races — along with the spurious pseudoscience of assigning innate characteristics to them—has a genealogy that can be traced directly to the paes of [Linnaeus’s] Systema Naturae.”

if Linnaeus is far the less likable of the two figures, that doesn’t make the sections on him any less interesting, informative, or enjoyable. The more intimate details are also often engaging, and some of the digressions into the apostle missions are absolutely fascinating, particularly the story of a woman who disguised herself as a man to sail aboard one of the science missions. It is Buffon, though, who is not just interesting and fascinating, but also compelling.

As for the writing, Roberts is a particular strong non-fiction writer. He moves the reader effortlessly, clearly, and smoothly between people, times, and places. The writing is always clear and fluid and understandable, he has an engaging voice, and shows a regular ability to turn a nice phrase, as with the above description of the two men viewing nature as either “a noun” or “a verb.” Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life is an immensely readable work, one that entertains as it informs and, one that, in the fashion of all the best non-fiction, leaves the reader eager to learn more about the subject (s). Highly recommended.

Two 18th-century titans embarked on an ambitious quest to catalog all life on Earth. Linnaeus, a charismatic Swedish doctor, championed rigid categories, while Buffon, a French polymath, envisioned nature as an ever-evolving tapestry. Their contrasting philosophies shaped divergent perspectives on nature and humanity’s place within it.

This sweeping history of the science of biology is a captivating tale of discovery. The engaging storytelling kept my interest while revealing a unique perspective on the efforts to catalog life.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

It's always difficult for me to rate a non fiction book. However, this book was just not for me. The writing seemed superfluous and was to inflate the ego of the author and of these long deceased scientists. I typically enjoy reading about the evolution of science and the key players, but I really could not enjoy or get into the flow.

Thanks Netgalley for an advanced reading copy.

What if unrestricted exploration of the world, the seas, and the skies was not the best thing for us? What if we were limiting the pursuit of science even as we seeki to understand?

Roberts writes a compelling comparison of two scientists and researchers who set the foundations for today's quest to know - while showing how their time and history both boosted and limited their influence.

He warns about the price of the drive to know more (and more and more). He exposes the human cost of competition, self-accreditation and pride. And he prods the limitations of culture, small-mindedness, and claims to know everything.

The stories of Buffon and Linnaeus and their separate spheres is interesting and not a little biased toward one above the other. If you like tracing how knowledge develops, you'll love this one.

Thank you to Jason Roberts, Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was OUTSTANDING!!! I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the history of the life sciences and especially evolution.

This book is ostensibly about two men, Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon, both of whom were determined to find a way to catalogue all of the various animals, plants, and minerals that were being discovered at a rapidly increasing rate. At the time (mid-18th century) there was no standardized method of naming a newly discovered life-form and this made it impossible to know if this new discovery was, in fact, new at all or just a re-identification of an already known species.

The author presents the history of these two men, their theories, and the scientific fields that they contributed to in order to bring out the differences between their approaches to the problem, and eventually their contributions to the many fields of science today. The author does a magnificent job of making what could otherwise be a dry history book into a great page turner. He immerses the reader into the thoughts, beliefs, and prejudices of the time so that the theories that are put forth by various scientists and contested by others are revealed within the context of their times, rather than as a correct or incorrect theory as viewed from the 21st century.

I understand the fundamentals of biology much better for having read this book. It was truly amazing!

This is the story of Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon, two scientists who were determined to document all life on earth and who both vastly underestimated how many plants and animals existed. Based on the book's description, I had hoped that the author would spend more time on the search for specimens. It's long and a bit dry, covering the lives of Linnaeus and Buffon in exhausting detail. There were some sections I found absolutely fascinating, but overall I slogged through it.

A compelling parallel biography. I guess everyone heard about Linnaeus in school, and those of us interested in the history of science are familiar with Buffon - but reading this book made me realize how little I knew about both of them and their attempts to organize the natural world. So I learned a lot, but also had a lot of fun, because it is very well written and surprisingly entertaining.

It is impressive how many written sources exist about the lives of these two characters, but I was equally impressed with how the author drew on them. He has an eye for interesting details, but does not overload the pages with too much dry information. As a result, it reads like a novel, or at least like narrative non-fiction.

Thanks to the publisher, Random House, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This book is a cautionary tale both in succession planning and the influence of religion on science. I thought I knew about taxonomy, but Every Living Thing showed me I knew pretty much nothing. If you are looking for a compelling story behind how the classification of life came to be I heartily recommend this book.

Despite having a degree in biochemistry, I had never heard Buffon, but had of course heard of Linnaeus. In exploring both of their lives and the impacts of their contributions, Jason Roberts shows exactly why many folks who study science had no idea of Buffon's existence.

The first two parts of the book explore the lives and work of Linnaeus and Buffon. This juxtaposition was fascinating given how different the two were in their upbringing and philosophies. Roberts' writing is engaging and I was sucked into both of their stories. I also very much enjoyed the quotes from Buffon, Linnaeus and their contemporaries along with the illustrations of their work. I was amazed at how progressive Buffon's ideas were especially given the time in which he lived. While Buffon and Linnaeus were the focal points, there were so many different characters throughout their lives and afterward. Roberts provides an excellent picture of these figures and you come to know both Linnaeus and Buffon throughout the text.

The final part of the book discusses chaos in the aftermath of their deaths, particularly Buffon in context with the French revolution. I was captivated by the threads that connect modern science and evolution back to these men. As an aside, it is disappointing that people in 1860 refuted evolution for the same reasons people refute it now [religion].

All in all, highly recommend. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader copy to review.

A little long and kind of dry at some points.

I do think the author did a good job anchoring people and events in time and history. So often we learn about people in a vacuum, without context as to what's happening in the world.

I took my time reading this and it was worth it. This exploration & comparison of the lives of Buffon and Linnaeus started with descriptions of the early lives of both men. During this, both were treated fairly equally in terms of appreciation for their early lives. Once the book transitioned to their professional careers, however, the authors preference begins clear.
Linnaeus is shown as a self-aggrandizing opportunist whose few contributions to natural history were overshadowed by the harm he did in other ways.
Buffon is shown as a man ahead of his time. One who, given fewer limitations, could have moved science forward even further than he did.
These characterizations are probably correct given the history. Throughout the author used quotes and examples of the works by the two men to illustrate their accomplishments and the results of what they accomplished. He continues part their deaths to show their impact on science and to explain how each of them is tenderness by history and science.
This is a great book if you love scientific history and are curious how politics affected western science in the 18th century. I wholly recommend it to anyone who teaches biology in particular to add a dimension to their explanation of nomenclature and scientific discoveries.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was such a neat book to read. As someone who has very little interest in natural sciences I was drawn in by Jason's writing.

This is a fascinating book and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the natural world, particularly in how animals and plants came to be categorized and given scientific names. I had read about Linnaeus, and was surprised to find that he really didn't have much of a scientific background, and that he was wrong about practically everything. Wrong or not, he left an indelible stamp on biology as we know it, particularly with the custom of identifying living things by genus and species. He gave our species the name of Homo Sapiens. He also had a famous rivalry with another man also interested in natural science, Georges Louis de Button. The title is a nod to the desire of both men to name 'every living thing' on the earth.

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher Random House via NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Can all creation really be known? Every Little Thing documents two differing approaches to cataloguing everything on earth—seriously. This was a fascinating deep dive! PS: the cover is picture perfect.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Every Living Thing presents the lives of two encyclopedia writers, Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon. Both men set off on a quest to catalog all human knowledge. It's very interesting to learn about the lives of scientists responsible for taxonomies and classifications. This is a fun and quirky duel biography about two important figures in the classification of natural knowledge. Those interested in science, systems, and history will enjoy this.

I loved this book. One could reasonably think that a book about taxonomy could be a dry read. But in Jason Robert’s capable hands, the subject comes alive (no pun intended). The writing is compelling and the book reads more like a novel. The tone is conversational and any science is clearly explained without the use of jargon. There was a lot of biographical information but no whitewashing of personalities. I recommend this book to anyone interested in biology. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the advance reader copy.

It is fascinating to read about the need for order. This wonderful book gives us insights in the different methods and styles of two scientists that were on a mission to identify and categorize all living things on earth. The two people were so different, and therefore so were their methods. Carl Linnaeus was a doctor, who bought his degree in the Netherlands, and scrounged for work and recognition for his way of looking at the world in categories. The Frenchman, Georges Louis de Buffon, was a well-educated aristocrat who was the keeper of the Royal Gardens, and worked countless hours in his own vast estates to learn about science and the natural world. The way they organized the world, and how they viewed life, still has ramifications today.

Buffon created the work “Reproduction,” worked in early genetics and prototyping and wanted to be open to see how things evolved. Linnaeuse, with his more religious training, was more rigid in his beliefs, even though he gave us the concept of mammal, primate, and Homo Sapien.

This is a must read and a delightful book. Easy to understand and reads very much like a novel. Compelling story telling and very approachable.

This book meets all of my requirements for a great non-fiction book and then some. Roberts does a stupendous job of telling the story of "Every Living Thing" and the great pioneers of science that helped to create our modern basis of understanding life. Roberts is able to breakdown such a broad topic into stories that grab the reader's attention in a way that is not oversimplified or overcomplicated. As Buffon states, "Far from becoming discouraged, the philosopher should applaud nature," Roberts accomplishes this task by writing a book that is a great celebration of nature.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!

Although the biographies of Linnaeus and Buffon are interesting, the author has set up a straw man to oppose the two. Roberts is clearly on the side of Buffon but fails to recognize that systematizing and classifying everything was an important intellectual trend in The Enlightenment. While he spends plenty of time following Buffon's successors, he does not pay as much attention to those of Linnaeus.

Roberts' focuses too much on the question of human race in Linnaeus. While the author notes and acknowledges how little was known of life at the microscopic level, he ignores that knowledge in all areas of natural history was incomplete. This makes Linnaeus' different descriptions of races understandable in context, while still being objectionable to modern eyes.

The final section of the book traces the development of biology since the late 1700s. If, as he asserts, the Linneaen system has broken down, he never really presents a coherent argument. The evidence of duplicate species and of breaking up species based on molecular differences is not sufficient evidence of the problem. The only true evidence he gives of ther breakdown of the Linneaen system is the effort to "save the appearances" by adding new levels of classification.

Ok, if we accept his thesis at face value, that the current Linneaen system is broken. And if we realize that Buffon deliberately did not classify -- what are we left with? Roberts doesn't have an idea, and that's yet more evidence of the book's weakness.