The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

"Winner"

"Elizabeth Kolbert writes, “If extinction is a morbid topic, mass extinction is, well, massively so.” Especially when we’re to blame for the latest mass extinction. Kolbert brings that morbid subject to life by taking us on an around-the-world journey. In Scotland, Peru, Italy, the Great Barrier Reef and more, she profiles the rise and fall of species both present and ancient. By the end, the hubris of Homo sapiens emerges as particularly shortsighted: We may be the first species to actively kill ourselves off. You’re dying to read this now, aren’t you? Do."