The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert — book cover
Non-Fiction Dark & Gritty Balanced

The Sixth Extinction

Elizabeth Kolbert

4.1 via Goodreads

Humans are causing a mass extinction event on the scale of the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs -- and we are doing it without noticing.

Mood Dark & Gritty
Pacing Balanced
Complexity Moderately Complex
Pages 336
Reading Time ~11–17 hrs

About This Book

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST A major book 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-billion years, there have been Five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted.

Who This Is For

Best for readers who want something unflinching: morally complex, heavy, and honest about the worst of things. The writing rewards attention without being demanding, a good balance of depth and readability. The pacing is balanced, time to breathe between moments that matter. Not the right choice if you're after something comforting or redemptive.

Best Read When

Best read when you're in the mood for something dark and uncompromising, and a read that's balanced and absorbing.

What It Explores

The Sixth Extinction explores survival and what extreme circumstances ask of people, and power structures and how they shape individual lives.

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