From ancient Egyptian murals to Aristotle's formulation of an organization system, humans have been "obsessed with the visual similarities and differences between the creatures that inhabit the Earth alongside us." In a beautifully bound volume teeming with illustrative references, David Bainbridge (Teenagers: A Natural History) proceeds step-by-step through the evolution of species classification. Categorization was more complex than one might realize, and originally influenced (i.e., "forcibly reconciled with the Christian world view") by prevailing religious beliefs.
How Zoologists Organize Things is a detailed yet reader-friendly text and an astounding trip through nature's artistic history. Ancient religious paintings, Audubon works, diagrams and zoological plates all show the impact of the animal world on man's artistic drive. Fascinating to thumb through, take random deep dives in or read cover to cover. --Lauren O'Brien of Malcolm Avenue Review