LSU Libraries celebrates the research and creativity of LSU faculty through "From the Stacks: LSU Faculty Authors," a monthly Q&A series highlighting recent books written by LSU faculty members. This initiative highlights recent publications, offering insight into the scholarship that shapes the university’s academic community. All faculty-authored books are included in the Libraries’ physical collection and as part of the faculty book list in the LSU Scholarly Repository.

Prosanta Chakrabarty

Prosanta Chakrabarty is the Edwin K. Hunter Chair for Communication of Science Research, Professor and Curator of Fishes; SEE Division/Museum of Natural Science. As an ichthyologist, Dr. Chakrabarty has been interested in the evolution of life forms from fishes. Below, he discusses the influences that led to the writing of his book, Explaining Life Through Evolution, (MIT Press 2023).

What attracted you to your field of study?

I always wanted to study animals, and as an undergrad, I worked with a mentor, Melanie Stiassny, an ichthyologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. I learned about how the anatomy of fishes can inform our own understanding of human evolution. She got me hooked on evolution and ichthyology. 

Tell us about your education and work history.

I grew up in Queens, NY, and attended public schools there. I then went to McGill University in Montreal. After graduating from McGill, I worked as a research intern at the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. I then got into a PhD program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where I studied evolution and ichthyology. I returned to New York for a postdoctoral fellowship at the American Museum of Natural History until 2008, when I was hired by LSU.

Does writing come easily to you or is it a struggle?

I love writing. I wake up at 4 or 5 a.m., and I write until my family wakes up. Some of that is scientific writing for peer-reviewed publications, but I also enjoy writing for the general public. 

What was your motivation for writing this book?

I had already been teaching evolution to undergrads here at LSU for some time, but I was always insecure about it. I thought writing what I know while also learning new things would give me more confidence in my teaching!

Why was it important to write it? 

An old trope about evolution is that “nothing in biology makes sense without the light of evolution.” I wanted to write an evolution book for the general reader that wasn't a textbook.  

Will there be a follow-up?

I did just publish a children's version of the book aimed at fifth graders and up. It is free to download from [the LSU Museum of Natural Science’s] website: "Nature Selecting. A Children's Book Explaining Evolution" ) 

Do you have any advice for students and researchers in your field who may consider writing a book?

I'd love for more scientists to write trade books. We tend to only write for ourselves. I find it gratifying and also useful to explain the science I do so that everyone can understand. We live in a time where science is misunderstood and misinterpreted. I hope we can change that by getting more scientists out there to explain what they do in a way that makes our work clear and understandable to everyone.

LSU Libraries supports faculty authors by collecting and preserving their work in the LSU Scholarly Repository and by helping make LSU research more widely discoverable through open-access initiatives.