First published 2014
Earth faces a sixth mass extinction as species disappear at rates never seen before. Elizabeth Kolbert investigates this crisis by combining historical research, scientific analysis, and fieldwork across multiple continents. She starts with early extinction research in Paris, showing how scientists first understood that species could vanish forever. Kolbert then documents how human activities now drive accelerating biodiversity loss worldwide. She travels with researchers to coral reefs as they die and rainforests under threat, demonstrating how human actions have caused ecological collapse on a global scale. The book connects past extinction events with current destruction, showing how humans have become a geological force that transforms life on Earth. This tenth anniversary edition gives readers a complete picture of ongoing species loss and makes a strong argument for changing how we interact with living systems on our planet.
Genres: science, natural-history, ecology, non-fiction, investigative-journalism, environmental-science
Vibes: immersive, scientific, sobering, thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: historical-context, investigative-narrative, multi-perspective-research
Setting: Paris, Coral Reefs, Rainforests
Period: Modern Era
352 pages · Paperback · Holt Paperbacks
Content warnings: death
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