Synopses & Reviews
Richard Leakey, One Of The World's Foremost Experts On Man's Evolutionary Past, Now Turns His Eye To The Future And Doesn't Like What He Sees.
To the philosophical the earth is eternal, while the human race -- presumptive keeper of the world's history -- is a mere speck in the rich stream of life. It is known that nothing upon Earth is forever; geography, climate, and plant and animal life are all subject to radical change. On five occasions in the past, catastrophic natural events have caused mass extinctions on Earth. But today humans stand alone, in dubious distinction, among Earth's species: Homo Sapiens possesses the ability to destroy entire species at will, to trigger the sixth extinction in the history of life. In The Sixth Extinction, Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin consider how the grand sprawl of human life is inexorably wreaking havoc around the world. The authors of Origins and Origins Reconsidered, unimpeachable authorities on the human fossil record, turn their attention to the most uncharted anthropological territory of all: the future, and man's role in defining it. According to Leakey and Lewin, man and his surrounding species are end products of history and chance. Now, however, humans have the unique opportunity to recognize their influence on the global ecosystem, and consciously steer the outcome in order to avoid triggering an unimaginable upheaval.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
Richard Leakey, One Of The World'sForemost Experts On Man's Evolutionary Past, Now TurnsHis Eye To The Future And Doesn't Like What HeSees.
To the philosophical theearth is eternal, while the human race -- presumptivekeeper of the world's history -- is a mere speckin the rich stream of life. It is known thatnothing upon Earth is forever; geography, climate, andplant and animal life are all subject to radicalchange. On five occasions in the past, catastrophicnatural events have caused mass extinctions onEarth. But today humans stand alone, in dubiousdistinction, among Earth's species:
HomoSapiens possesses the ability to destroyentire species at will, to trigger the sixthextinction in the history of life. In
The SixthExtinction, Richard Leakey and Roger Lewinconsider how the grand sprawl of human life isinexorably wreaking havoc around the world. Theauthors of
Origins and
Origins Reconsidered, unimpeachableauthorities on the human fossil record, turn theirattention to the most uncharted anthropological territoryof all: the future, and man's role in defining it.According to Leakey and Lewin, man and hissurrounding species are end products of history andchance. Now, however, humans have the uniqueopportunity to recognize their influence on the globalecosystem, and consciously steer the outcome in orderto avoid triggering an unimaginable upheaval.
From the Hardcover edition."