The Sixth Extinction

An Unnatural History

By: Elizabeth Kolbert

Narrated by: Anne Twomey

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

A major audiobook about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a powerful account of the mass extinction unfolding before our eyes.

Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on Earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us. In The Sixth Extinction, two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert draws on the work of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines, accompanying many of them into the field: geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs up the Andes, marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef.

She introduces us to a dozen species, some already gone, others facing extinction, including the Panamian golden frog, staghorn coral, the great auk, and the Sumatran rhino. Through these stories, Kolbert provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy; as Kolbert observes, it compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

©2013 Elizabeth Kolbert (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Failed to make me care

Ok history lesson, better if you are familiar with the names of prehistoric ages, and probably even better with images.

I was recommended this book from an environmentalist. It was not what I expected, but it did not make me care...

one of the best analyses yet

the author took quite a bit of time on the first two periods of extinction on earth. seemed to rush through the dinosaurs to get to the ice age, then tried to expand on the current climate crisis and global rate of extinctions. the geologic timelines could have been edited in favor of expanding on the scientific research and developments in conservation ecology that do not get enough treatment in the end.

Powerful

Well written and obviously true. Unfortunately, true!
We are killing ourselves threw the killing of other species!

Good Information, Terrible Narration

Very thorough and thought provoking content but the author fails to give the creation of this marvelous human machine it's just due. Humans do exploit all creatures as well as their habitat because that's what we were commanded to do by our Creator. Furthermore, if left to our own devices, we are fully capable and are in fact 'sawing off the limb we sit upon,' but then again, that is also part of the Creator's redemptive Plan.
Allow me to take the guess work out of what is ultimately going to be the final fate of all humans...the fact is there is hope for us all!

There will be a terrible cataclysm, most likely an asteroid impact, and over half of humanity will perish. But certain individuals will be spared and reanimated by a benevolent Invader...who is, in fact, part alien and part human. He, together with the reanimated beings and other survivors, will spend a thousand years cleaning up the mess and rebuilding. Consider this period to be the 'finishing school' for humanity's ultimate goal to administrate a cleaned up planet and reanimated Cosmos for Eternity.

Actually, this should not come as a surprise to anyone because it's all written down in that funny little book many refer to as a 'comic book,' but what others call the Bible.

With the book

I listened as I read this book pushed on by my college student daughter. Informative. Interesting

Eyes opening book to a challenging reality.

It is up to us to act fast and try to minimize the huge and irreversible damage we have caused to the planet

Humans bad

An excellent series of accounts of how ecologically unbalancing the proliferation of humans is. I was hoping for a more scientific analysis of the topic as opposed to sorrow/rage inducing descriptions of specific examples of the ecological atrocities humans commit simply by existing (when it boils down to it). Highly recommended for persons who have yet to hear of these; maybe not so much for those versed in the biological sciences familiar with ecology and evolutionary biology.

very good

Its very good. My only complaint was i wish there was more detail on the scientific theories behind what is discussed.

one of the best books I have heard

incredible job weaving together science and stories and making this most poignant historic moment understandable and humbling. Highly recommended!

over-dramatic reader hidden by Audible sample

Any additional comments?

The reader, Anne Twomey, insanely over-dramatizes this book, weakening it the severely. It sounds like a bad psuedo-science show on a coming UFO invasion.

Audible hides this in their sample.

The Audible sample has a very passionate and professional sounding reader. Only after I purchased did I realize that the sample was Kolbert herself, reading the prologue, and not Twomey, who reads the rest of the book. I wish Kolbert had read the whole book.