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The Annihilation of Nature: Human Extinction of Birds and Mammals
This book shows us the face of Earth’s sixth great mass extinction, revealing that this century is a time of darkness for the world’s birds and mammals. In The Annihilation of Nature, three of today’s most distinguished conservationists tell the stories of the birds and mammals we have lost and those that are now on the road to extinction. These tragic tales, coupled with eighty-three color photographs from the world’s leading nature photographers, display the beauty and biodiversity that humans are squandering.
Gerardo Ceballos, Anne H. Ehrlich, and Paul R. Ehrlich serve as witnesses in this trial of human neglect, where the charge is the massive and escalating assault on living things. Nature is being annihilated, not only because of the human population explosion, but also as a result of massive commercial endeavors and public apathy. Despite the well-intentioned work of conservation organizations and governments, the authors warn us that not enough is being done and time is short for the most vulnerable of the world’s wild birds and mammals. Thousands of populations have already disappeared, other populations are dwindling daily, and soon our descendants may live in a world containing but a minuscule fraction of the birds and mammals we know today.
The Annihilation of Nature is a clarion call for engagement and action. These outspoken scientists urge everyone who cares about nature to become personally connected to the victims of our inadequate conservation efforts and demand that restoration replace destruction. Only then will we have any hope of preventing the worst-case scenario of the sixth mass extinction.
Gerardo Ceballos, Anne H. Ehrlich, and Paul R. Ehrlich serve as witnesses in this trial of human neglect, where the charge is the massive and escalating assault on living things. Nature is being annihilated, not only because of the human population explosion, but also as a result of massive commercial endeavors and public apathy. Despite the well-intentioned work of conservation organizations and governments, the authors warn us that not enough is being done and time is short for the most vulnerable of the world’s wild birds and mammals. Thousands of populations have already disappeared, other populations are dwindling daily, and soon our descendants may live in a world containing but a minuscule fraction of the birds and mammals we know today.
The Annihilation of Nature is a clarion call for engagement and action. These outspoken scientists urge everyone who cares about nature to become personally connected to the victims of our inadequate conservation efforts and demand that restoration replace destruction. Only then will we have any hope of preventing the worst-case scenario of the sixth mass extinction.
- GenresScienceNonfiction
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 10, 2022
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It is time that “we as a species dedicated ourselves to preserving—instead of destroying--nature”
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“Humanity has unleashed a massive and escalating assault on all living things on this planet. The purpose of this book is to shine a spotlight on this onslaught, focussing on losses of animals that are most familiar to people: birds [warm-blooded, backboned animals that have feathers and wings] and mammals [warm-blooded, backboned animals].”
The above quote (in italics) comes from the preface of this eye-opening and well-written book by Geraldo Ceballos and Anne & Paul Ehrlich. Ceballos is one of the world’s leading ecologists. He is professor at the Institute of Ecology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Anne Ehrlich is a senior scientist emeritus at Stanford University (in California). Paul Ehrlich is an award-winning professor of Population Studies and the president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford. He has authored more than forty books.
This book blends both words and pictures in a moving account of what the author’s call “the sixth mass extinction” of animals, specifically birds and mammals.
It discusses those birds and mammals that are now extinct, those that have been lost in more recent times, and those that we are close to losing.
Why does it matter? Who cares if some birds and mammals go extinct? These questions and more are adequately answered in a chapter entitled “Why it all matters.” And can we, the human species, do something and “permit adequate living room for our only known companions in the universe?” The answer to this questions is found in the last chapter entitled “Beyond mourning.”
This beautifully-designed book includes amazing nature colour photography that shows the diverse wildlife threatened with extinction including gorgeous two-page spreads at the end of each chapter. I counted almost 85 pictures (including drawings).
My favourite two-page spread is of the mountain gorilla. The last sentence of the caption for this picture says, “A world without wild populations of these close relatives of ours would be a sad place indeed.”
This book’s cover (shown above by Good Reads) is quite interesting. It shows an array of four rows of animals and this array is fading to black. All the animals in the bottom row are either critically endangered or extinct.
The top row shows (scarlet macaws, a tiger, a chimpanzee, and Indian rhinos). The top middle row has a (gray whale, whooping crane, polar bears, and an indri). The bottom middle row shows a (giant panda, black rhino, chital, and orange hawk-eagle). The bottom row has a (kiwi, lowland gorilla, aya-aya, and baiji).
Finally, there is an appendix that has the common and scientific names of plants and animals mentioned in this book. I counted all of these names and found that there are just over 305 names!!
In conclusion, this beautiful book is both an accurate history of the problem of species extinction and a visual reminder of what the world still stands to lose if it doesn’t change its course!!!
{2015; preface [ix - xi]; acknowledgements; 10 chapters; main narrative 180 pages; appendix; recommended reading; index; photography & illustration credits}
XXXXX
It is time that “we as a species dedicated ourselves to preserving—instead of destroying--nature”
XXXXX
“Humanity has unleashed a massive and escalating assault on all living things on this planet. The purpose of this book is to shine a spotlight on this onslaught, focussing on losses of animals that are most familiar to people: birds [warm-blooded, backboned animals that have feathers and wings] and mammals [warm-blooded, backboned animals].”
The above quote (in italics) comes from the preface of this eye-opening and well-written book by Geraldo Ceballos and Anne & Paul Ehrlich. Ceballos is one of the world’s leading ecologists. He is professor at the Institute of Ecology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Anne Ehrlich is a senior scientist emeritus at Stanford University (in California). Paul Ehrlich is an award-winning professor of Population Studies and the president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford. He has authored more than forty books.
This book blends both words and pictures in a moving account of what the author’s call “the sixth mass extinction” of animals, specifically birds and mammals.
It discusses those birds and mammals that are now extinct, those that have been lost in more recent times, and those that we are close to losing.
Why does it matter? Who cares if some birds and mammals go extinct? These questions and more are adequately answered in a chapter entitled “Why it all matters.” And can we, the human species, do something and “permit adequate living room for our only known companions in the universe?” The answer to this questions is found in the last chapter entitled “Beyond mourning.”
This beautifully-designed book includes amazing nature colour photography that shows the diverse wildlife threatened with extinction including gorgeous two-page spreads at the end of each chapter. I counted almost 85 pictures (including drawings).
My favourite two-page spread is of the mountain gorilla. The last sentence of the caption for this picture says, “A world without wild populations of these close relatives of ours would be a sad place indeed.”
This book’s cover (shown above by Good Reads) is quite interesting. It shows an array of four rows of animals and this array is fading to black. All the animals in the bottom row are either critically endangered or extinct.
The top row shows (scarlet macaws, a tiger, a chimpanzee, and Indian rhinos). The top middle row has a (gray whale, whooping crane, polar bears, and an indri). The bottom middle row shows a (giant panda, black rhino, chital, and orange hawk-eagle). The bottom row has a (kiwi, lowland gorilla, aya-aya, and baiji).
Finally, there is an appendix that has the common and scientific names of plants and animals mentioned in this book. I counted all of these names and found that there are just over 305 names!!
In conclusion, this beautiful book is both an accurate history of the problem of species extinction and a visual reminder of what the world still stands to lose if it doesn’t change its course!!!
{2015; preface [ix - xi]; acknowledgements; 10 chapters; main narrative 180 pages; appendix; recommended reading; index; photography & illustration credits}
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May 19, 2016
The core of this colorful book details the threats and status of the myriad species of extinct and endangered birds and mammals today. The objective as stated is to invoke an emotional response in the reader to the dire situation that is the sixth mass extinction event driven by humans. Hence the focus on the easier to relate to and more charismatic vertebrates. Aimed thus at the general public, it does not contain notes and references to the figures made, which I feel detracts from the overall quality and usefulness of the book. A significant portion is also about the drivers of said extinctions, and I like in particular the links made to ultimate causes - human population and economic growth, while also covering the more proximate ones like habitat destruction, overhunting and pollution. Too many NGOs and 'politically correct' publications fail to drive home the destructiveness of our industrial global civilization and how we must take action to change our mindset and overhaul the system itself. The Ehrlichs are of course well known for their more radical stance, so it is perhaps no surprise this book, co-written by the couple, will emphasize depopulation and lower material consumption as imperative to wildlife conservation - a position I am in full agreement with.
February 16, 2016
Another decent sixth extinction book, but too focused on detailing one species after another that are gone or going.
August 28, 2016
I did not read this book in its entirety, but skimmed through it. Very interesting facts and wonderful pictures. Topics of today's environmental science we should all be familiar with.
April 10, 2019
Gerardo Ceballos, Anne H. Ehrlich, and Paul R. Ehrlich serve as witnesses in this trial of human neglect, where the charge is the massive and escalating assault on living things. Nature is being annihilated, not only because of the human population explosion, but also as a result of massive commercial endeavors and public apathy.
January 10, 2019
It does what it says on the tin. A series of richly illustrated accounts of extinct or threatened mammal and bird species. Thus it performs well as a rallying cry. Not so much an introduction to the underlying science of conservation.
May 11, 2016
This is probably the most comprehensive one book on the subject of environment and anthropogenic causes of extinctions. It is beautifully illustrated and an easy read. It addresses causation in general terms and if the reader seeks more specific info about a given species there are other works that have more detailed discussions.
August 27, 2016
The authors provide a dark vision of our future with solutions in only part of the final chapter. It could have used a better editor. The pictures of the animals and birds are good but don't expect this to be a picture book.
September 11, 2015
Wait for my ITT review!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews