What lessons can be taken from planet Earth's past extinctions and cataclysmic events in order to avoid another such disaster--one that humanity may bring about itself?
In Extinctions: From Dinosaurs to You, science writer Charles Frankel (Land and Wine) investigates this pressing question in mesmerizing detail. Anyone interested in the health of the planet will be captivated by the way that Frankel's scientific detective work unearths the reasons for earlier extinctions. After the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, other extinctions turned out to have been caused or enhanced by the rise of Homo sapiens, for example by the overhunting of megafauna. "Adverse factors might affect species that otherwise would rebound were it not for the added stress of human activities... be it overhunting, habitat reduction, or climate change."
Frankel describes the meticulous study across all regions of the globe and how these truths were finally proven. This scientific adventure story is brisk enough to interest a broad range of readers, even those not already invested in humanity's quest to understand these ancient disasters.
It's gripping to learn of environmental repair attempts that some scientists are engaging in, such as so-called "de-extinction" projects to revive creatures like the woolly mammoth, and the desperate efforts to preserve species that are threatened with "population crash." Frankel urges readers to focus on the things they know will protect their ecosystems and combat climate change, rather than fixating on threats that are unlikely to arise. Extinctions: From Dinosaurs to You is a necessary, clearly outlined call to action in the quest to ensure the continued survival of the human species--and other species' survival, too. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.