The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

4.1
based on 1038 ratings

About this book

2015 Pulitzer Prize Winner Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us. In prose that is at once frank, entertaining, and deeply informed, New Yorkerwriter Elizabeth Kolbert tells us why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before. Interweaving research in half a dozen disciplines, descriptions of the fascinating species that have already been lost, and the history of extinction as a concept, Kolbert provides a moving and comprehensive account of the disappearances occurring before our very eyes. She shows that the sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Book Details

ISBN13 9781250062185
ISBN10 1250062187
Series/Work OL16820830W View on OpenLibrary
Publisher Picador
Language ENG
Created At January 30, 2025
Updated At January 30, 2025
Last OL update January 18, 2025

Community Reviews

Write a review

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this book!