Global warming, loss of biodiversity, and toxic chemicals are undermining the ability of the planet to support complex life. Routinely overlooked in causing our current predicament is that several million years of evolution has predisposed Homo sapiens, both anatomically and behaviorally, to vanishing.

A former endangered species biologist looks at the ongoing sixth extinction through the prism of human behavior, personal experience, ecology, evolutionary biology, and contemporary conservation efforts. He provides new insights into factors triggering the current mass extinction event and examines conventional wisdom regarding human intelligence. The author suggests-as humanity edges ever closer to disappearing forever-a clear-eyed, real-world rationale for resignation but also acceptance.