The Man Who Organized Nature: The Life of Linnaeus

This mostly rewarding biography by Broberg (The History of the Night), who was a professor emeritus of history at Lund University, Sweden, before his death in 2022, chronicles the life of Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), the Swedish scientist who developed the modern taxonomic system for classifying animals and plants. Linnaeus took an interest in nature from a young age and learned to identify the plants that grew around his childhood home. He studied botany at Uppsala University and soon after graduating revolutionized the natural sciences by advocating for the classification of each plant and animal by two Latin names (the first their genus, the second their species), as well as making the radical argument that humans should be included in the animal kingdom. Broberg illuminates the factors behind the actual work of science by delving into Linnaeus’s efforts to find patrons for his work, and the author’s diligent research, which draws on previously unpublished diaries and correspondence, brings the esteemed naturalist to life. However, the consideration of Linnaeus’s contributions to race science (his most famous work, Systema Naturae, designated four human “varieties” and placed them in a hierarchy) is glaringly brief. Though this skimps on the unsavory parts of Linnaeus’s legacy, it will otherwise satisfy history of science scholars. Illus. (June)