Since natural history emerged in the middle of the 18th century, it has been at the heart of the life sciences. It gave rise to the major organizing theory of life - evolution - and continues to be a vital science with impressive practical value. Central to ecology, agriculture, medicine and environmental science, natural history attracts enormous popular interest. In this work, Paul Farber traces the development of the naturalist tradition since the 18th century and considers its relationship to other research areas in the life sciences. Written for the general reader and student alike, the volume explores the adventures of early naturalists, the ideas that lay behind classification systems, the development of museums and zoos, and the range of motives that led collectors to collect. Farber also explores the importance of sociocultural contexts, institutional settings, and government funding in the story of this durable discipline.