An anecdotal romp through the strange history of naturalism. Absurd characters, exciting discoveries, and fierce rivalries abound. -- Outside Magazine
An enduring story bursting at the seams with intriguing, fantastical and disturbing anecdotes. -- New Scientist
[Conniff] chronicles two centuries of adventure, and at the same time illustrates important developments in human thought. -- Christian Science Monitor
A swashbuckling romp...brilliantly evokes that just-before Darwin era. -- BBC Focus
[Conniff's] enthusiasm for his subject and admiration of these explorers is infectious...an entertaining survey. -- Kirkus Reviews
[This] history of the 'great age of discovery' is spellbinding. -- Publishers Weekly
Modern biology and medicine would not be what they are today if not for the death-defying naturalists who set out to travel the world and find new species. In The Species Seekers, Richard Conniff creates a marvelous rogues' gallery of these brave, sometimes reckless heroes of taxonomy, full of surprising tales of gorillas, platypuses, and disease-laden mosquitoes. -- Carl Zimmer, author of Parasite Rex
A marvelous tribute to the age of wonder. -- Bernd Heinrich, author of The Nesting Season
