Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life – Lulu Miller
“Why Fish Don’t Exist” is a podcast in book form, which makes it the perfect audiobook for listeners of that format looking to branch out.
Lulu Miller, an NPR reporter, delivers a part memoir, part biography, part microhistory and part environmental nonfiction story that centers on renowned taxonomist — and later garbage person — David Starr Jordan who is credited with discovering one fifth of the world’s fish.
Most people wouldn’t look to science for answers on how to overcome adversity, but that’s exactly what Miller did at a point in her life when all was stacked against her — professional unfulfillment, relationship challenges and questioning her sexuality. She found comfort in the writings of Jordan and his advice for rebuilding a life with unbridled optimism.
Quick with a dad joke and obsessed with cataloging the natural world, Jordan was a giant of the academic and scientific communities for years, but he also had cosmically bad luck. His life’s work was destroyed twice — first in a lightning sparked fire that destroyed his research at Indiana University, where he became president in 1885, and once again during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
As I was listening, I thought: “how do I not know about this person that contributed so much to science and had roots to Indiana, my home state?” The answer was soon to be shared as Miller’s “Julie and Julia” type affection for Jordan turns into a cautionary tale about the dangers of idolizing others.
It turns out Jordan was possibly connected to the murder of Jane Stanford — namesake of the university where he worked for 25 years — but worst of all, he was an early proponent of eugenics and pushed agendas for racial and segregation purity. He is directly responsible for several pieces of legislation that led to compulsory sterilization in the United States.
It wasn’t luck that dealt Jordan a bad hand, it was karma. And, the reason we don’t know his name is because universities, schools and municipalities have thankfully removed his namesake from public spaces.
However, Miller leaves the best piece of scientific revenge against Jordan for the end, when she answers the question posed by the book’s title — why exactly fish don’t exist. For fans of nature and the environment, it’s a fascinating discussion. If you don’t want to read this novel, and it’s worth a chance, you can find some details here.
For the most part “Fish” hits all the right notes. It’s the right length and Miller writes in an engaging style that is full of personality and will keep you hooked (pun intended). But there’s also a lot happening. Jordan’s story is fascinating and frustrating enough to stand alone, so the sections where Miller’s life is brought into the picture start to feel out of place.
Her narration also doesn’t help. While a trained radio journalist, she can’t quite keep up the energy and enthusiasm needed to keep listeners engaged over five hours, but ultimately how she distilled decades of information into a (mostly) tight narrative win out. Fans of environmental nonfiction and history will like this better than most.
Rating (story): 3.5/5 stars
Rating (narration): 3/5
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: April 11 - 13, 2021
Multi-tasking: Good to go.
