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Sixth Extinction : An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert (2014, Hardcover)
ZBK Books (162355)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherHolt & Company, Henry
ISBN-100805092994
ISBN-139780805092998
eBay Product ID (ePID)166738948
Product Key Features
Book TitleSixth Extinction : an Unnatural History
Number of Pages336 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2014
TopicNatural Disasters, Natural History, Life Sciences / Evolution, Ecology, Life Sciences / Biology
IllustratorYes
GenreNature, Science
AuthorElizabeth Kolbert
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.2 in
Item Weight15.9 Oz
Item Length9.5 in
Item Width6.5 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2013-028683
Reviews[Kolbert] grounds her stories in rigorous science and memorable characters past and present, building a case that a mass extinction is underway, whether we want to admit it or not., Throughout her extensive and passionately collected research, Kolbert offers a highly readable, enlightening report on the global and historical impact of humans... a highly significant eye-opener rich in facts and enjoyment., Elizabeth Kolbert's cautionary tale, The Sixth Extinction , offers us a cogent overview of a harrowing biological challenge. The reporting is exceptional, the contextualizing exemplary. Kolbert stands at the forefront of what it means to be a socially responsible American writer today., "Rendered with rare, resolute, and resounding clarity, Kolbert's compelling and enlightening report forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives." - Booklist (starred review)"An epic, riveting story of our species that reads like a scientific thriller-only more terrifying because it is real. Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction is destined to become one of the most important and defining books of our time." -David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z "I tore through Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction with a mix of awe and terror. Her long view of extinction excited my joy in life's diversity -- even as she made me aware how many species are currently at risk." -Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter "With her usual lucid and lovely prose, Elizabeth Kolbert lays out the sad and gripping facts of our moment on earth: that we've become a geological force, driving vast swaths of creation over the brink. A remarkable addition to the literature of our haunted epoch." -Bill McKibben, author Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist "Elizabeth Kolbert's cautionary tale, The Sixth Extinction , offers us a cogent overview of a harrowing biological challenge. The reporting is exceptional, the contextualizing exemplary. Kolbert stands at the forefront of what it means to be a socially responsible American writer today."-Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams "The sixth mass extinction is the biggest story on Earth, period, and Elizabeth Kolbert tells it with imagination, rigor, deep reporting, and a capacious curiosity about all the wondrous creatures and ecosystems that exist, or have existed, on our planet. The result is an important book full of love and loss." -David Quammen, author of The Song of the Dodo and Spillover, The sixth mass extinction is the biggest story on Earth, period, and Elizabeth Kolbert tells it with imagination, rigor, deep reporting, and a capacious curiosity about all the wondrous creatures and ecosystems that exist, or have existed, on our planet. The result is an important book full of love and loss., [Kolbert] makes a page-turner out of even the most sober and scientifically demanding aspects of extinction. Combining a lucid, steady, understated style with some enviable reporting adventures... she produces a book that is both serious-minded and invites exclamation points into its margins., "Kolbert accomplishes an amazing feat in her latest book, which superbly blends the depressing facts associated with rampant species extinctions and impending ecosystem collapse with stellar writing to produce a text that is accessible, witty, scientifically accurate, and impossible to put down."- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Rendered with rare, resolute, and resounding clarity, Kolbert's compelling and enlightening report forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives." - Booklist (starred review)"An epic, riveting story of our species that reads like a scientific thriller-only more terrifying because it is real. Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction is destined to become one of the most important and defining books of our time." -David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z "I tore through Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction with a mix of awe and terror. Her long view of extinction excited my joy in life's diversity -- even as she made me aware how many species are currently at risk." -Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter "With her usual lucid and lovely prose, Elizabeth Kolbert lays out the sad and gripping facts of our moment on earth: that we've become a geological force, driving vast swaths of creation over the brink. A remarkable addition to the literature of our haunted epoch." -Bill McKibben, author Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist "Elizabeth Kolbert's cautionary tale, The Sixth Extinction , offers us a cogent overview of a harrowing biological challenge. The reporting is exceptional, the contextualizing exemplary. Kolbert stands at the forefront of what it means to be a socially responsible American writer today."-Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams "The sixth mass extinction is the biggest story on Earth, period, and Elizabeth Kolbert tells it with imagination, rigor, deep reporting, and a capacious curiosity about all the wondrous creatures and ecosystems that exist, or have existed, on our planet. The result is an important book full of love and loss." -David Quammen, author of The Song of the Dodo and Spillover "Elizabeth Kolbert writes with an aching beauty of the impact of our species on all the other forms of life known in this cold universe. The perspective is at once awe-inspiring, humbling and deeply necessary." -T.C. Boyle, author of San Miguel, Praise for Field Notes from a Catastrophe "A small miracle of concision . . . Offer(s) the clearest view yet of the biggest catastrophe we have ever faced."- Los Angeles Times "Sober, detailed, and alarming without being alarmist."- Newsweek "Gripping, well-written . . . Kolbert never editorializes, but her message comes through all the louder for her restraint."- The Seattle Times "Important . . . Precise and measured . . . Lets readers connect the dots to form a frightening (and still avoidable) vision of our future."- Entertainment Weekly, With her usual lucid and lovely prose, Elizabeth Kolbert lays out the sad and gripping facts of our moment on earth: that we've become a geological force, driving vast swaths of creation over the brink. A remarkable addition to the literature of our haunted epoch., Powerful . . . Kolbert expertly traces the 'twisting' intellectual history of how we've come to understand the concept of extinction, and more recently, how we've come to recognize our role in it. . . An invaluable contribution to our understanding of present circumstances., Kolbert accomplishes an amazing feat in her latest book, which superbly blends the depressing facts associated with rampant species extinctions and impending ecosystem collapse with stellar writing to produce a text that is accessible, witty, scientifically accurate, and impossible to put down., [An] excellent new book... The Sixth Extinction is the kind of book that helps us recognize the actual planet we live upon., Riveting... It is not possible to overstate the importance of Kolbert's book. Her prose is lucid, accessible and even entertaining as she reveals the dark theater playing out on our globe., Your view of the world will be fundamentally changed... Kolbert is an astute observer, excellent explainer and superb synthesizer, and even manages to find humor in her subject matter., "Powerful . . . Kolbert expertly traces the 'twisting' intellectual history of how we've come to understand the concept of extinction, and more recently, how we've come to recognize our role in it. . . An invaluable contribution to our understanding of present circumstances."-Al Gore, The New York Times Book Review "Arresting . . . Ms. Kolbert shows in these pages that she can write with elegiac poetry about the vanishing creatures of this planet, but the real power of her book resides in the hard science and historical context she delivers here, documenting the mounting losses that human beings are leaving in their wake." - The New York Times "Throughout her extensive and passionately collected research, Kolbert offers a highly readable, enlightening report on the global and historical impact of humans... a highly significant eye-opener rich in facts and enjoyment." - Kirkus (starred review) "The factoids Kolbert tosses off about nature's incredible variety-a frog that carries eggs in its stomach and gives birth through its mouth, a wood stork that cools off by defecating on its own legs-makes it heartbreakingly clear, without any heavy-handed sermonizing from the author, just how much we lose when an animal goes extinct. In the same way, her intrepid reporting from far-off places-Panama, Iceland, Italy, Scotland, Peru, the Amazonian rain forest of Brazil, and the remote one tree Island, off the coast of Australia-gives us a sense of the earth's vastness and beauty." - Bookforum "Kolbert accomplishes an amazing feat in her latest book, which superbly blends the depressing facts associated with rampant species extinctions and impending ecosystem collapse with stellar writing to produce a text that is accessible, witty, scientifically accurate, and impossible to put down."- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Rendered with rare, resolute, and resounding clarity, Kolbert's compelling and enlightening report forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives." - Booklist (starred review)"An epic, riveting story of our species that reads like a scientific thriller-only more terrifying because it is real. Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction is destined to become one of the most important and defining books of our time." -David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z "I tore through Elizabeth Kolbert''s The Sixth Extinction with a mix of awe and terror. Her long view of extinction excited my joy in life''s diversity -- even as she made me aware how many species are currently at risk." -Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter "With her usual lucid and lovely prose, Elizabeth Kolbert lays out the sad and gripping facts of our moment on earth: that we''ve become a geological force, driving vast swaths of creation over the brink. A remarkable addition to the literature of our haunted epoch." -Bill McKibben, author Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist "Elizabeth Kolbert''s cautionary tale, The Sixth Extinction , offers us a cogent overview of a harrowing biological challenge. The reporting is exceptional, the contextualizing exemplary. Kolbert stands at the forefront of what it means to be a socially responsible American writer today."-Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams "The sixth mass extinction is the biggest story on Earth, period, and Elizabeth Kolbert tells it with imagination, rigor, deep reporting, and a capacious curiosity about all the wondrous creatures and ecosystems that exist, or have existed, on our planet. The result is an important book full of love and loss." -David Quammen, author of The Song of the Dodo and Spillover "Elizabeth Kolbert writes with an aching beauty of the impact of our species on all the other forms of life known in this cold universe. The perspective is at once awe-inspiring, humbling and deeply necessary." -T.C. Boyle, author of San Miguel, The factoids Kolbert tosses off about nature's incredible variety--a frog that carries eggs in its stomach and gives birth through its mouth, a wood stork that cools off by defecating on its own legs--makes it heartbreakingly clear, without any heavy-handed sermonizing from the author, just how much we lose when an animal goes extinct. In the same way, her intrepid reporting from far-off places--Panama, Iceland, Italy, Scotland, Peru, the Amazonian rain forest of Brazil, and the remote one tree Island, off the coast of Australia--gives us a sense of the earth's vastness and beauty., Thorough and fascinating . . . Kolbert is an economical and deft explainer of the technical, and about as intrepid a reporter as they come . . . Her reporting is meticulous., I tore through Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction with a mix of awe and terror. Her long view of extinction excited my joy in life's diversity -- even as she made me aware how many species are currently at risk., An epic, riveting story of our species that reads like a scientific thriller--only more terrifying because it is real. Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction is destined to become one of the most important and defining books of our time., Arresting . . . Ms. Kolbert shows in these pages that she can write with elegiac poetry about the vanishing creatures of this planet, but the real power of her book resides in the hard science and historical context she delivers here, documenting the mounting losses that human beings are leaving in their wake., What's exceptional about Kolbert's writing is the combination of scientific rigor and wry humor that keeps you turning the pages., Rendered with rare, resolute, and resounding clarity, Kolbert's compelling and enlightening report forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives., "The sixth mass extinction is the biggest story on Earth, period, and Elizabeth Kolbert tells it with imagination, rigor, deep reporting, and a capacious curiosity about all the wondrous creatures and ecosystems that exist, or have existed, on our planet. The result is an important book full of love and loss." -David Quammen, author of The Song of the Dodo and Spillover "Elizabeth Kolbert's cautionary tale, The Sixth Extinction , offers us a cogent overview of a harrowing biological challenge. The reporting is exceptional, the contextualizing exemplary. Kolbert stands at the forefront of what it means to be a socially responsible American writer today."-Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams "With her usual lucid and lovely prose, Elizabeth Kolbert lays out the sad and gripping facts of our moment on earth: that we've become a geological force, driving vast swaths of creation over the brink. A remarkable addition to the literature of our haunted epoch." -Bill McKibben, author Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist "I tore through Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction with a mix of awe and terror. Her long view of extinction excited my joy in life's diversity -- even as she made me aware how many species are currently at risk." -Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, Elizabeth Kolbert writes with an aching beauty of the impact of our species on all the other forms of life known in this cold universe. The perspective is at once awe-inspiring, humbling and deeply necessary., "With her usual lucid and lovely prose, Elizabeth Kolbert lays out the sad and gripping facts of our moment on earth: that we've become a geological force, driving vast swaths of creation over the brink. A remarkable addition to the literature of our haunted epoch." --Bill McKibben, author Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist "Elizabeth Kolbert's cautionary tale, The Sixth Extinction , offers us a cogent overview of a harrowing biological challenge. The reporting is exceptional, the contextualizing exemplary. Kolbert stands at the forefront of what it means to be a socially responsible American writer today."-Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams, Surprisingly breezy, entirely engrossing, and frequently entertaining... Kolbert is a masterful, thought-provoking reporter., "Throughout her extensive and passionately collected research, Kolbert offers a highly readable, enlightening report on the global and historical impact of humans... a highly significant eye-opener rich in facts and enjoyment." - Kirkus (starred review) "The factoids Kolbert tosses off about nature's incredible variety-a frog that carries eggs in its stomach and gives birth through its mouth, a wood stork that cools off by defecating on its own legs-makes it heartbreakingly clear, without any heavy-handed sermonizing from the author, just how much we lose when an animal goes extinct. In the same way, her intrepid reporting from far-off places-Panama, Iceland, Italy, Scotland, Peru, the Amazonian rain forest of Brazil, and the remote one tree Island, off the coast of Australia-gives us a sense of the earth's vastness and beauty." - Bookforum "Kolbert accomplishes an amazing feat in her latest book, which superbly blends the depressing facts associated with rampant species extinctions and impending ecosystem collapse with stellar writing to produce a text that is accessible, witty, scientifically accurate, and impossible to put down."- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Rendered with rare, resolute, and resounding clarity, Kolbert's compelling and enlightening report forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives." - Booklist (starred review)"An epic, riveting story of our species that reads like a scientific thriller-only more terrifying because it is real. Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction is destined to become one of the most important and defining books of our time." -David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z "I tore through Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction with a mix of awe and terror. Her long view of extinction excited my joy in life's diversity -- even as she made me aware how many species are currently at risk." -Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter "With her usual lucid and lovely prose, Elizabeth Kolbert lays out the sad and gripping facts of our moment on earth: that we've become a geological force, driving vast swaths of creation over the brink. A remarkable addition to the literature of our haunted epoch." -Bill McKibben, author Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist "Elizabeth Kolbert's cautionary tale, The Sixth Extinction , offers us a cogent overview of a harrowing biological challenge. The reporting is exceptional, the contextualizing exemplary. Kolbert stands at the forefront of what it means to be a socially responsible American writer today."-Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams "The sixth mass extinction is the biggest story on Earth, period, and Elizabeth Kolbert tells it with imagination, rigor, deep reporting, and a capacious curiosity about all the wondrous creatures and ecosystems that exist, or have existed, on our planet. The result is an important book full of love and loss." -David Quammen, author of The Song of the Dodo and Spillover "Elizabeth Kolbert writes with an aching beauty of the impact of our species on all the other forms of life known in this cold universe. The perspective is at once awe-inspiring, humbling and deeply necessary." -T.C. Boyle, author of San Miguel
Dewey Edition23
TitleLeadingThe
Dewey Decimal576.8/4
Table Of ContentAuthor's Note xi? Prologue 1? I: The Sixth Extinction 4? II: The Mastodon's Molars 23? III: The Original Penguin 47 ? IV: The Luck of the Ammonites 70? V: Welcome to the Anthropocene 92? VI: The Sea Around Us 111? VII: Dropping Acid 125? VIII: The Forest and the Trees 148? IX: Islands on Dry Land 173? X: The New Pangaea 193? XI: The Rhino Gets an Ultrasound 217? XII: The Madness Gene 236? XIII: The Thing with Feathers 259?? Acknowledgments 273? Notes 277? Selected Bibliography 293? Photo/Illustration Credits 305? Index 307
SynopsisWINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST A major book about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a powerful 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. In The Sixth Extinction , two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert draws on the work of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines, accompanying many of them into the field: geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs up the Andes, marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef. She introduces us to a dozen species, some already gone, others facing extinction, including the Panamian golden frog, staghorn coral, the great auk, and the Sumatran rhino. 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.
LC Classification NumberQE721.2.E97K65 2014
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Jul 01, 2020
Explains why life on Earth has been altered by mankind. Doubtful that it will make any differance in the long term of millions of years.
Well researched by author.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- May 16, 2017
Raises the alarm and fascinates
This book is clearly and well written. It provides interesting history on mass extinctions and great anecdotes and information about the human-caused environmental changes sweeping the globe, typically told from a scientific perspective.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Dec 05, 2023
Depressing
It is very informative book but depressing as hell.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Feb 02, 2021
Awesome book!!!
What a timely product. Awesome!!!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Sep 06, 2016
Great Buy!
Book was labeled as "used" but basically looked brand new. Thank you!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Feb 19, 2019
The suxth extinción.
Excellent book.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- May 17, 2024
Great shape!
Great shape!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Mar 10, 2021
OK
G+Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
