Inheritors of the Earth

How Nature Is Thriving in an Age of Extinction

By: Chris D. Thomas

Narrated by: Bob Reed

Human activity has irreversibly changed the natural environment. But the news isn't all bad.

It's accepted wisdom today that human beings have permanently damaged the natural world, causing extinction, deforestation, pollution, and of course climate change. But in Inheritors of the Earth, biologist Chris Thomas shows that this obscures a more hopeful truth -- we're also helping nature grow and change. Human cities and mass agriculture have created new places for enterprising animals and plants to live, and our activities have stimulated evolutionary change in virtually every population of living species. Most remarkably, Thomas shows, humans may well have raised the rate at which new species are formed to the highest level in the history of our planet.

Drawing on the success stories of diverse species, from the ochre-colored comma butterfly to the New Zealand pukeko, Thomas overturns the accepted story of declining biodiversity on Earth. In so doing, he questions why we resist new forms of life, and why we see ourselves as unnatural. Ultimately, he suggests that if life on Earth can recover from the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs, it can survive the onslaughts of the technological age. This eye-opening book is a profound reexamination of the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Critic reviews

"An immensely significant book. It is fluently written, carefully thought through, ruthlessly argued, neatly illustrated with case studies - and shockingly contrarian."—MattRidley, The Times (Book of the Week)

"Thoughtfully argued, full of rich examples... This engaging, provocative and important book paints a refreshingly optimistic picture of life on Earth"—TheGuardian

"The inevitability (and pace) of global change demands the sort of fresh thinking that is found in Inheritors of the Earth."—Science Magazine

"Inheritors of the Earth collects years of Thomas' field research, illuminating plant and animal species-notably one of his specialties, butterflies-flourishing all over the Earth. Thomas puts big ideas on display."—Nautilus Magazine

"His flowing narrative is rich in stories of his fieldwork round the world ... Thomas's vision ... aspires to something nobler, more optimistic."—New Scientist

"Fascinating ... Chris Thomas examines our human relationships with nature, bad and good, and sets out a more hopeful truth to current narratives and alarms ... This is a rich and timely tale, fearless too, with examples and cases drawn from ecosystems across the world."—TimesHigher Education

"[A] thrilling and uplifting counter to the pessimism of the Anthropocene."—BBCWildlife Magazine

"Chris Thomas takes the million-year view of today's human-dominated world. The result is a thoughtful, provocative, and improbably hopeful book."—Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of TheSixth Extinction

"An immensely significant book. It is fluently written, carefully thought through, ruthlessly argued, neatly illustrated with case studies - and shockingly contrarian."—Matt Ridley, The Times (Book of the Week)

"His flowing narrative is rich in stories of his fieldwork round the world ... Thomas's vision ... aspires to something nobler, more optimistic."—Fred Pearce, New Scientist

"Fascinating ... Chris Thomas examines our human relationships with nature, bad and good, and sets out a more hopeful truth to current narratives and alarms ... This is a rich and timely tale, fearless too, with examples and cases drawn from ecosystems across the world."—Professor Jules Pretty, Times Higher Education

"[A] thrilling and uplifting counter to the pessimism of the Anthropocene."—Stuart Blackman, BBC Wildlife Magazine

"A decent and humane tale about the threat and promise of biodiversity change."—James Lovelock, author of The Revenge of Gaia and ARough Guide to the Future

"The most interesting / challenging / surprising thing I've read about the natural world for years."—James Rebanks, author of The Shepherd's Life

Biology at its Best

Science from a scientist! A much needed dose of reality in the conservation world. I’m tired of “journalists” writing about science.I’m tired of the Chicken Little hyperbole. This book acknowledges the challenges but uses real science to justify a positive future.And NO we’re not in a sixth extinction event and won’t be for 1000 years even if things don’t get better.

Makes you re-examine your perspectives

I love books that offer a fresh perspective. This book does that and defends its position well

Combating the inconsistencies of today’s policies and emotional principles

This book makes great strides in combatting the inconsistencies of many current environmental credos. The author occasionally employs his own dose of selective ignorance throughout the book, which I hope will not cause people to write off the important points he is making. The perspective he highlights has been missing from the mainstream body of science, causing much of our policy to be based on emotion and flawed concepts of “baselines” and “nature.” This is an important book!

Vocal Ticks + Mispronunciations = no bueno

He sounds friendly but... Is hard as hell to tolerate when you're trying to learn...

A Much-Needed Dose of Optimism

In a time of oft repeated doom and gloom about the natural world and the damage we have (and continue to) wrought, “Inheritors of the Earth” offers a much-needed perspective on life on our planet and our place as its stewards and contributing environmental force.