Combining frank scientific writing reminiscent of classic works of natural history, with an impassioned plea for Earth's future, Extinction gives a detailed picture of the enormous impact of humanity on the natural world.

The Earth's biodiversity is in serious jeopardy. In the last 50 years, wildlife populations have more than halved, and the rate of species extinction is now hundreds of times normal. Nearly 700 vertebrate species have gone extinct in the last 500 years, and these are just the ones we know about. All of this is a result of the unparalleled impact of humanity on the natural world, an impact that continues to grow.

Acting as both a primer on evolution, extinction, and ecology and a summary of human environmental history, T. Thomas Rathe puts the cost of human actions in the clearest terms by highlighting more than 50 species lost in the modern age ranging from birds and reptiles to fish, amphibians, and our mammal relatives.

More than just a discussion of humans' negative impact, Extinction puts the reader in touch with some of the world's amazing creatures by detailing a number of the most fascinating members of the animal kingdom and ends with a serious look at what all of us can do to help stem species loss and make a better world for us and all of Earth's life. With something for everyone and a must-read for animal lovers and those concerned about Earth's (and humanity's) future, Extinction makes clear the tenuous situation we are facing, but also shows that the future can be what we make it.