A comprehensive look at the state of planet Earth.This book is full of dire facts, but it's not doom and gloom. Its lively, conversational tone with plenty of jocular asides keeps it unintimidating and accessible. Part I gives a brief, clear history of the cosmos and planet Earth and, particularly, its five earlier extinction events, which wiped out at least 75% of species. Part II discusses possible threats for a sixth extinction event, including asteroids, supervolcanoes, diseases, overpopulation, and war. Each is dissected in a way that manages to be more compellingly informative than scaremongering. Part III, entitled "What's Going Wrong Today," is where things get a bit terrifying. Climate change is scrutinized with the available facts and real-world examples-and the results are grim. But any good science book will leave readers feeling empowered, and that is the case here. An easy-to-understand checklist of things readers can do is provided along with the science that backs up these seemingly how-could-this-possibly-make-a-difference actions (eating less meat, for example). The book has loads of fun, interesting data; impeccable organization; and an enjoyable, nonpatronizing tone. Young readers will appreciate that this book is talking to them, not at them. It's difficult to write a science-based book about the possible demise of the human species and make it empowering and entertaining, but this one does it. Final art not seen.Lively writing, pertinent science, and an urgent topic make this a must-read for all. (author's note, glossary, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-17)

This upbeat offering manages to cheerfully summarize the history of the world through mass extinctions. While that might sound macabre, the author maintains that it's important to understand the past before we can do anything about the future. Engaging, graphics-rich chapters trace how life on earth pivoted after each of the five major mass extinction events (all long before humans arrived), delve into dangers that have always affected human survival (asteroids, supervolcanoes, war, disease, overpopulation), and then relate almost all of this material directly to our greatest challenge: climate change. Despite detailed descriptions of calamities and symptoms and comparative casualty charts, the book's overall tone is reassuring. Early on, readers are told that it takes courage to look at these difficult events, are warned when something particularly disturbing is coming up (Hiroshima, COVID-19), and are congratulated upon reaching the solutions and action steps listed on the final pages. Cheeky banter wrapped around accessible science, a pages-long time line, charts, graphs, a bibliography, and extensive chapter notes contribute to this fresh take on saving our planet.

A comprehensive look at the state of planet Earth.This book is full of dire facts, but it's not doom and gloom. Its lively, conversational tone with plenty of jocular asides keeps it unintimidating and accessible. Part I gives a brief, clear history of the cosmos and planet Earth and, particularly, its five earlier extinction events, which wiped out at least 75% of species. Part II discusses possible threats for a sixth extinction event, including asteroids, supervolcanoes, diseases, overpopulation, and war. Each is dissected in a way that manages to be more compellingly informative than scaremongering. Part III, entitled "What's Going Wrong Today," is where things get a bit terrifying. Climate change is scrutinized with the available facts and real-world examples-and the results are grim. But any good science book will leave readers feeling empowered, and that is the case here. An easy-to-understand checklist of things readers can do is provided along with the science that backs up these seemingly how-could-this-possibly-make-a-difference actions (eating less meat, for example). The book has loads of fun, interesting data; impeccable organization; and an enjoyable, nonpatronizing tone. Young readers will appreciate that this book is talking to them, not at them. It's difficult to write a science-based book about the possible demise of the human species and make it empowering and entertaining, but this one does it. Final art not seen.Lively writing, pertinent science, and an urgent topic make this a must-read for all. (author's note, glossary, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-17)