Et propter vitam vivendi perdere

In a world where we constantly seek to categorize and label everything around us, there is an inherent danger in clinging too tightly to these classifications. The book "Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life" by Lulu Miller beautifully illustrates this danger, through the true story of David Starr Jordan, a naturalist who devoted his life to cataloging and categorizing fish, only to have his life's work destroyed in a devastating fire. But more than just a cautionary tale about the perils of scientific obsession, "Why Fish Don't Exist" is a powerful exploration of the very nature of classification and order. As the book takes us on a journey through Jordan's life, we see how his own need for order and control was driven by a deep-seated fear of chaos and uncertainty. And yet, in the end, it is precisely this chaos that allows for the emergence of hidden patterns and connections that defy our attempts at classificat...