"e;More fun than you've ever had with taxonomy in your whole entire life"e; this history of the stories behind scientific names is "e;delightfully written"e; (Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, and PhD in Quantitative Behavioral Ecology). Ever since Carl Linnaeus's binomial system of scientific names was adopted in the eighteenth century, scientists have been eponymously naming organisms in ways that both honor and vilify their namesakes. This charming, informative, and accessible history examines the fascinating stories behind taxonomic nomenclature, from Linnaeus himself naming a small and unpleasant weed after a rival botanist to the recent influx of scientific names based on pop-culture icons including David Bowie's spider, Frank Zappa's jellyfish, and Beyonce's fly. Exploring the naming process as an opportunity for scientists to express themselves in creative ways, Stephen B. Heard's fresh approach shows how scientific names function as a window into both the passions and foibles of the scientific community and as a more general indicator of the ways in which humans relate to, and impose order on, the natural world. "e;Delightful. . . . This book is for everyone, including students of the life sciences an immediate classic of science folklore."e; Choice"e;A true pleasure to read."e; Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity"e;Contains a wealth of insightful comments. Stephen Heard is a talented writer with a good sense of humor, and he knows how to tell a story."e; Paul Faber, Oregon State University"e;Stephen Heard's prose fairly sings with enthusiasm, and he presents truly fascinating stories about the names of living things stories I guarantee you've never heard before."e; Daniel Lewis, author of Belonging on an Island

"More fun than you've ever had with taxonomy in your whole entire life" this history of the stories behind scientific names is "delightfully written" (Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, and PhD in Quantitative Behavioral Ecology).

Ever since Carl Linnaeus's binomial system of scientific names was adopted in the eighteenth century, scientists have been eponymously naming organisms in ways that both honor and vilify their namesakes. This charming, informative, and accessible history examines the fascinating stories behind taxonomic nomenclature, from Linnaeus himself naming a small and unpleasant weed after a rival botanist to the recent influx of scientific names based on pop-culture icons-including David Bowie's spider, Frank Zappa's jellyfish, and Beyoncé's fly.

Exploring the naming process as an opportunity for scientists to express themselves in creative ways, Stephen B. Heard's fresh approach shows how scientific names function as a window into both the passions and foibles of the scientific community and as a more general indicator of the ways in which humans relate to, and impose order on, the natural world.

"Delightful. . . . This book is for everyone, including students of the life sciences-an immediate classic of science folklore." - Choice

"A true pleasure to read." -Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity

"Contains a wealth of insightful comments. Stephen Heard is a talented writer with a good sense of humor, and he knows how to tell a story." -Paul Faber, Oregon State University

"Stephen Heard's prose fairly sings with enthusiasm, and he presents truly fascinating stories about the names of living things - stories I guarantee you've never heard before." -Daniel Lewis, author of Belonging on an Island