The Art of Naming is not just for biologists who might be revisiting, or discovering, the origins of animal names. It is also for historians of modern science, for linguists, for anthropologists, for any curious readers ready to be impressed by the human urge to classify and its attendant foibles and vanities.
Vaclav Smil, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba; author of Growth and Energy and Civilization
If you've ever wondered what's in a name—and haven't we all?—then The Art of Naming is the book for you. Smart, funny, packed with tales of scientific feuds, enraged politicians, outsized adventure, and egos, Michael Ohl reminds us that in the wonder of name lies the wonder of life on Earth itself.
Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize winner; author of The Poisoner's Handbook
Michael Ohl's brilliant book shows that although systematic biologists are sometimes said to be crazy, it's the other way around; taxonomy is a psychoactive science that prevents madness.
Fredrik Sjöberg, author of The Fly Trap
In The Art of Naming, Michael Ohl takes the reader behind the scenes with biodiversity explorers to reveal the fascinating and surprisingly human practice of naming species. An engaging storyteller, Ohl draws upon authoritative knowledge and unexpected historical tales to bring to life, with clarity and wit, this little-known corner of science. As millions of species face the threat of extinction, there is no better time to celebrate the diverse kinds of life on Earth and the sources of the names by which we know them.
Quentin Wheeler, President of ESF, New York's global environmental college; author of What on Earth?
Michael Ohl brings to life the scientific process of naming animals, and the fascinating people who name them, through a superb combination of storytelling and rigorous factual presentation. The Art of Naming is delightful.
Justin Schmidt, Southwestern Biological Institute & Department of Entomology, University of Arizona; author of The Sting of the Wild
Modern biologists have trouble with names. They can't keep up with the 20,000 species of living things newly recognized each year, not to mention the estimated millions that remain to be discovered. That's the focus of this brilliant book by Michael Ohl, a biologist at the Natural History Museum in Berlin... Taxonomy, as revealed through Ohl's expert commentary, displays both the wisdom and the wit of the artful scientists who practice it.
Natural History
The history and practice of scientific naming is both presented as well as mused extensively upon with the intention of showing that far from being rigid and staid, the way in which names are assigned to species, as well as occasionally modified, is rich in creativity, cleverness, humor, and even at times used for the settling of scores.
The Well-Read Naturalist
Detailed but engaging...The rules and traditions of taxonomy prove more flexible, even chaotic, than the lay reader is apt to imagine.
Scott McLemee
Inside Higher Ed
Ohl is at his best in the book's final chapters, where he merges linguistics, philosophy, and biology together in a consideration of some particularly unusual matters of taxonomy.
Gregory R. Goldsmith
Science
