PULITZER PRIZE 2015

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE

For half a billion years, five mass extinctions have occurred, during which biodiversity has suddenly and dramatically decreased. Scientists around the world are monitoring the sixth extinction, which is predicted to be the most sweeping since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time, however, the cause is us.

With honesty and thorough writing, New Yorker columnist Elizabeth Kolbert explains why and how humans have changed life on Earth in unprecedented ways. Combining research from various fields of study, Kolbert provides a moving and comprehensive account of the extinctions happening before our eyes. She shows that the sixth extinction may be the most enduring legacy of humankind, forcing us to reconsider the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

PUBLISHED IN 30 LANGUAGES

WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING

An exceptional piece that clearly shows it is not at all improbable for great and sudden changes to occur. They have happened in the past, and they can happen again. Barack Obama

It will fundamentally change the way you see the world. The Seattle Times

Engrossing... The true power of this book lies in the author's rigorous scientific method and the historical context she presents. The New York Times

Surprisingly readable, utterly shocking, and often entertaining... Kolbert is an authority in her field. The Boston Globe