Status Updates From Why Fish Don't Exist: A Sto...

This book is a memoir alongside a biography of a man who the author finds inspiring at first, but as she researches him, he is everything she and anyone with a moral compass despises. It’s a mix of science, philosophy, psychology, expose of eugenics in the us, and chaos across this man’s lifespan. I’ve learned so much from it because storytelling is engaging and easy to follow. Also has gorgeous illustrations

Chaos is real. Order is fragile. Meaning is something you make, not something you find.

Life is chaotic, but meaning comes from how we choose to respond to that chaos. (Very Charles Swindol)

It’s a rejection of both extremes — rigid order and total meaninglessness — in favor of a gentler, more human middle path.

If even “fish” — one of the most obvious categories — is an illusion, then many of the categories we cling to are illusions too.

The ending uses this idea to argue:
• Our labels are fragile.
• Our hierarchies are artificial.
• Our attempts to impose order often cause harm.
• Letting go of rigid categories can make us more humane.