In the Eastern Aegean lies an island of forested hills and olive groves, with streams, marshes and a lagoon that nearly cuts the land in two. It was here, over 2,000 years ago, that Aristotle came to work. Aristotle was the greatest philosopher of all time, and his work looms over the history of Western thought. But he was also a biologist who explored the mysteries of the natural world. With the help of fishermen, hunters and farmers, he catalogued the animals in his world, dissected them, and observed their behaviour. In 'The Lagoon', Armand Marie Leroi recovers Aristotle's science.