Taken directly from a fascinating article in the NYT:
“This series examines the search for life — not wishful thinking about extraterrestrials, but the myriad strange life forms with which we share this planet. It looks beyond Darwin’s accomplishments to find a number of colorful characters whose discoveries of new species have transformed our lives in ways we scarcely recognize. The writer is Richard Conniff, author of “The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth.” Read the article.