177 pages : 22 cm

"We accept that, at some point in the history of our universe, living creatures emerged from nonliving matter. Yet from the time of Aristotle until the late nineteenth century, many people believed in spontaneous generation, that living creatures sprang into existence from rotting material. As Daryn Lehoux explains in this fascinating book, spontaneous generation was perhaps the last stand of the ancient scientific worldview. In Creatures Born of Mud and Slime, Lehoux shows that―far from being a superstitious, gullible, or simplistic belief―spontaneous generation was a sophisticated and painstakingly grounded fact that stood up to the best scientific testing. Starting with the ancient Greeks’ careful and detailed investigations into how animals are generated straight through to the early modern period, Lehoux brings to life the intellectual contexts, rivalries, observational evidence, and complex and fascinating theories that were used to understand and explain the phenomena." -- Publisher's description

Includes bibliographical references (pages 145-172) and index

Introduction -- Spontaneous generation in Aristotle -- Aristotle and observational confidence -- A blossoming of creatures -- Inheritance and innovation -- Interlude : is life special? -- Towards a showdown -- Conclusion

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