Reviews with content warning for Murder - Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

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

48 reviews

greentearex's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

Really enjoyed the audio book, you can tell by the delivery that the author worked/works for NPR.

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sierrabowers's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

If you like reading about science and taxonomy, this would be a good book for you. If you’re loosely interested, maybe you would as well. I am not interested in these subjects but the way the author tied the subjects into her own story about life and how the universe is not as it seems… well I was interested to know why fish don’t exist. It was good book! Definitely not what I was expecting but it was enlightening and relaxing.

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kathleendayle's review

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emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

I truly did not know what to expect with this book, but on the whole I thought it was a fine memoir/biography with a little bit of science sprinkled in. I don't think it's particularly mindblowing and I think it's definitely overhyped, but overall it was fine. I didn't know anything about David Star Jordan, and now know he was an awful eugenicist (and honestly odd to sort of have that be a Big Reveal when it's in the intro paragraph to his wikipedia page) who probably had Jane Stanford murdered for rightfully trying to get him to face consequences. The best parts of the book are Miller's interviews with survivors of the sterilization program and the bit about taxonomy at the end.

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averydappercat's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book has validated a feeling I've had for a while. I've been wanting to diversify the kinds of books I read in the past year or so and in doing so, started reading classics, nonfiction, and horror (genres I never used to read). This book felt the bridge that connected my foray into nonfiction and give me a much bigger understanding of things I did not expect to gain an understanding of. I expected this book to give a specific kind of catharsis and though I did not get that, I think I got something more profound that will stick with me in life moving forward.

I can't add this content warning in the tags because it's not on there for some reason, but content warning for

eugenics.

It really just shows up in the most unexpected places. It's not explicit and the topic is handled very well, so if you want to be in for a surprise and know you don't have triggers, then I recommend that you don't open the spoiler tag.

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camilleberedjick's review

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emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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librarymouse's review

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

About a third of the way through this book, having googled David Starr Jordan, I was ready to finish this, as a hate reader if need be. Jordan was, without question, a horrible man. The atrocities he inflicted upon the world with his promotion of eugenics outweigh any good he may have done as a scientist by multiple orders of magnitude. Seeing Lulu Miller's hero worship of the man was off-putting, the more I learned of him. However, I ended up really enjoying this book as I read on, as Miller explores her own life alongside Jordan's, she brings along the reader. We learn of the atrocities he's committedin the same order she did while conducting the research for this book. It's still hard to have the hero worship of the young Jordan, with his love of stars and rescy jokes, when faced with the knowledge of his role in the American Eugenics movement.

Jordan's hands-on malicious acts, like his touring endorsement of eugenics and the possible murder by poison of his benefactor are completely bonkers. I am constantly amazed that people Revere him, while simultaneously understanding, as I, too have been in awe of the young man he once was.

This book breaks down every facet of Jordan, from his political, religious, and social beliefs; to his family life, addressing each idiosyncrasy with data driven research.

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