It takes a brave writer to tackle the truly Herculean task of describing The Variety of Life with the astronomical numbers of organisms living today, let alone all those that have fallen by the wayside over the billions of years of life on Earth. No one is quite sure how many living species there are, but it is estimated to be somewhere between 10 million and 100 million. Fortunately, since the days of the great Swedish naturalist Linnaeus, around 250 years ago, life has been grouped and classified into hierarchical schemes. As a result, it is possible to encompass this enormous variety of life by describing the relatively few groups into which it can be clustered. And, since the mid-19th century and the Darwin-Wallace theory of evolution by natural selection, classification has taken on an extra, evolutionary dimension. Colin Tudge, a well-known British science writer, has training in whole animal biology and a self-proclaimed love for the natural-historical foray among our fellow creatures. The first part of this big book (all of 90 pages) deals with the thorny problems of what Tudge rightly calls the craft and science of classification. Since the 1950s, the word cladistics has terrorized many traditional naturalists and biologists. But it is here to stay, and Tudge provides a very welcome guide that will be invaluable to both lay people and students.
The bulk of the text, nearly 500 pages, forms part II and includes the descriptions of the main groups, from the most primitive (alpha proteobacteria) prokaryotes to Eupatorium, a large genus of 1,800 or so species of plant. In between these two groups, at either end of the biological spectrum, lie all the more familiar bugs and beasts, including ourselves. Inevitably, given so many millions of organisms, difficult choices have to be made. Some groups are only dealt with at phylum level (for example, brachiopods), while others are detailed down to family level (for example, primates). Some extinct groups (not surprisingly, the dinosaurs) get a look, but not many overall. The short epilogue concerns conservation and is followed by a useful reference list of sources and an index. Altogether, the 600-odd pages are enlivened with a large number of excellent black-and-white drawings of individual organisms and diagrams illustrating evolutionary relationships. For all natural historians and anyone interested in biology, the The Variety of Life is a must. --Douglas Palmer, Amazon.co.uk
Safari hunters look docile compared to Tudge, who in a single volume captures not only lions and tigers but also every other living creature (and millions of extinct ones). And he accomplishes his massive capture with no snare other than the one he spins out of scientific classification. A pity that some readers will pass this book up out of fear of difficulty or boredom. Tudge writes with a lively style that renders the most opaque terms lucid and meaningful. And far from being tedious, the classification he develops turns all of biology into an intellectual adventure, an exciting search for the hidden dynamics that drive evolution and for the order that unites the welter of biological data. As the scientific specialty that traces the living threads linking the world's species, classification has undergone a revolution in recent decades, with cladistics supplying new principles; molecular biology, new data; and computers, new tools. As Tudge initiates general readers into the secrets of the revolution (the making of cladograms, for instance), he emboldens us for the challenge of technical literature. He also enlarges our sense of wonder at the multitudinous miracle of life, so nurturing the emotions that will sustain efforts to protect our natural heritage. Bryce Christensen
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Review
`The first part of The Variety of Life provides an excellent discussion and explanation of the systematisation of life, which is far from being static and boring.' The Herald
`...wonderful encyclopedic "labour of love".' The Herald
`Hopefully, the success The Variety of Life deserves will help encourage us "to share (our planet) with so many goodly creatures".' The Herald
`The Variety of Life is far more than just another good popular science book. It's a celebration of the "huge privilege" it is to share the planet with so many fantastical creatures.' Independent Weekend
`a beautifully illustrated introduction to everything that's ever lived.' Independent Weekend
`...exceptionally clear, user-friendly, and up-to-date...a valuable introduction to the higher classification of organisms and an easily accessible reference work to the entire spread of biodiversity.' Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University
`Taxonomy may sound dull, but Tudge makes a brilliant case for it. A seasoned science writer with a delightfully light touch, he can make the most arcane subject appealing... a beautifully illustrated introduction to everything that's ever lived.' Independent Weekend
`"...For all natural historians and anyone professing biology The Variety of Life is a must"' Douglas Palmer, Amazon.co.uk
`"Throughout the book, which one might expect to be dryly taxonomical, he inserts adjectives like 'fascinating', 'marvellous', and 'extraordinary'. I will let his own words describe his book."' Richard Eliis, The Times
`"This book is a remarkable achievement, giving an authoritative overview of the whole of life in a readable way that should be accessible to anyone with an interest in natural history. Find an excuse to buy it."' Bulletin of the British Ecological Society 2000
`"...this is a lovely and accessible book...It will be hugely valuable as a source-book for student libraries, and highly informative for any enthusiastic lay naturalist curious about the life around them and the fossils beneath them."' Nature
`"The book is excellently produced, can be recommended unreservedly to all interested in the life sciences (especially molecular biologists), and is remarkably good valud for money."' Galton Insitute Newsletter
`"...an invaluable reference text to have on any reference shelf"' National Association of Field Studies Officers Book Review Supplement 2001
About the Author
Colin Tudge, a former features editor for New Scientist, is the author of Global Ecology, Last Animals in the Zoo, The Environment of Life, (OUP) and many other books. He lives in London.
