The Sixth Extinction Tenth Anniversary Edition

By: Elizabeth Kolbert

Narrated by: Anne Twomey

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
The 10th Anniversary Edition of the powerful and important work about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a compelling account of the mass extinction unfolding before our eyes.

Over the last half a 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.

The Sixth Extinction draws on the work of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines–geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs up the Andes, and marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef. Elizabeth Kolbert, two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and New Yorker writer, accompanies many of these researchers into the field, and introduces you to a dozen species–some already gone, others facing extinction–that are being affected by the sixth extinction.

Through these stories, Kolbert provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind’s most lasting legacy; as Kolbert observes, it compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Excellent! Kolbert is a gifted writer and observant guide sharing knowledge about the Anthropocene.

Engaging, enlightning, sensitively written personal narrative by an observant investigator with a discerning voice who earns our trust. She presents scientific discoveries and hypotheses in the fossil record and geologic events about the various forces and players players leading up to and since our presence on earth. How we influenced and helped shape our environment as we became humans and at what cost as we now bear witness to our likely demise. Makes objective inquiry by dedicated experts in various fields of study fascinating to know about. A must read classic.

Sobering Look at the Sixth Extinction

This book blends history, science, and field reporting to show how past mass extinctions compare with today’s human-driven biodiversity crisis. The case studies — from golden frogs to coral reefs to Neanderthals — make the scale and urgency clear. At times the detail is repetitive, but overall it’s a powerful, unsettling account of the Anthropocene.

Powerful stories from climate’s front lines

Easily digestible stories about climate change and its specific impacts on bats, frogs, corals and a host of other species, including of course, humans. Powerful, sad and empowering.

Very interesting and disheartening

It’s not a five star book for me, but it certainly is an important book. It’s something probably everyone should read, although it is not fun to read. It is very well researched, and the details of the extinctions are very well explained. Worth reading.

history lesson

The author seems to have a lot of political statements that are really not related to the book.