Historian Geertje Dekkers' biography, "Myriad, Microscopic and Marvellous," published by Reaktion in 2025, details the discoveries of microbiologist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, who in 1674 observed single-celled life forms, bacteria and protozoa, in lake water using a microscope. The book recounts van Leeuwenhoek's accurate descriptions of red blood cells, capillaries, striated muscle fibres, spermatozoa, and the crystalline lens of the eye.

Van Leeuwenhoek's work significantly advanced the field of microbiology, providing early insights into the microscopic world. His detailed observations, communicated through correspondence with the UK Royal Society, established him as a key figure in the scientific revolution. Upon his death in 1723, the Royal Society acknowledged the loss of a valuable contributor.

In another work, "Naturekind," anthropologists Melissa Leach and James Fairhead explore the intersection of human culture and the natural world. Published by Princeton University Press in 2025, the book examines how humans interact with various life forms, including chickens, horses, bees, bats, and plants. Leach and Fairhead delve into the study of semiotics, analyzing the meaning embedded in these interactions.

"Naturekind" considers the interconnectedness of humans with wider life through communities and cultures, examining forests, seas, soils, and cities, which contain both living and non-living entities. The authors develop biosemiotics, linking biological findings to sign systems, to understand how meaning is constructed in the natural world. This approach offers a new perspective on how humans perceive and interact with their environment.