{"product_id":"the-power-of-life-the-invention-of-biology-and-the-revolutionary-science-of-jean-baptiste-lamarck-9780593852576","title":"The Power of Life: The Invention of Biology and the Revolutionary Science of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"A truly remarkable achievement.\" --Jill Lepore \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A gorgeous story of human nature and animal behavior--and of the way science itself evolves.\" --Dava Sobel \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe tumultuous life and radical science of a revolutionary thinker, and the history of an idea that changed the world \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the early nineteenth century, the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed the first evolutionary theory of life and, with it, a new science: biology. Yet for centuries, evolutionary theorists have endeavored to discredit Lamarck and his theory of self-transforming organisms, rejecting the idea that animals play an active role in shaping their own evolution. In his lifetime, he was mocked by his adversaries and personally insulted by Napoleon. In this virtuosic melding of biography, history, politics, and science, Jessica Riskin sets out to correct the record. Riskin tells the story of Lamarck's life and work as an intense struggle between rival forces to answer questions that remain foundational to our modern worldview: What is a living being, and what is science? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNew findings suggest Lamarck's basic claim was, in many ways, right, and a reconsideration of his life and work is long overdue. Denying the agency of living beings has informed two centuries of eugenic policies and environmental destruction, allowing people to regard the living world as so much raw material to shape and exploit for economic, industrial, and imperial gain. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDeeply researched, strikingly original, and beautifully written, \u003ci\u003eThe Power of Life \u003c\/i\u003eshines a much-needed light on an underappreciated biologist whose radical ideas offered a more inclusive, collaborative, and enlightened approach to science.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jessica Riskin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Riverhead Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/24\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 496\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.40lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.31h x 6.39w x 1.63d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780593852576\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/26\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2026 pg. 76\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJessica Riskin\u003c\/b\u003e is the Frances and Charles Field Professor of History at Stanford University, where she teaches modern European history and the history of science. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Restless Clock\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e Science in the Age of Sensibility\u003c\/i\u003e and is a regular contributor to a number of publications, including \u003ci\u003eAeon\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eNew York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Berkeley, California.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Jessica Riskin \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47792954081437,"sku":"9780593852576","price":50.53,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_98a727fe-c9d4-454d-ba1d-0c2126533a03.jpg?v=1774985489","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/the-power-of-life-the-invention-of-biology-and-the-revolutionary-science-of-jean-baptiste-lamarck-9780593852576","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}