The Sixth Extinction

Starred review from November 25, 2013
New Yorker staff writer Kolbert (Field Notes from a Catastrophe) accomplishes an amazing feat in her latest book, which superbly blends the depressing facts associated with rampant species extinctions and impending ecosystem collapse with stellar writing to produce a text that is accessible, witty, scientifically accurate, and impossible to put down. The eponymous extinction refers to the fact that the current rate of species loss is approaching that of the mass extinctions that ended five previous geologic epochs. Kolbert’s reporting takes her from the Andes to the Great Barrier Reef, and from a bare rock island off the coast of Iceland to a cave near Albany, N.Y. Throughout, she combines a historical perspective with the best modern science on offer, while bringing both scientists and species to life. As dire as our problems are today, Kolbert explains that they did not begin with the industrial revolution: “Though it might be nice to imagine there once was a time when man lived in harmony with nature, it’s not clear that he ever really did.” Kolbert, however, offers some optimism based on the passion the concept of extinction evokes: “Such is the pain the loss of a single species causes that we’re willing to perform ultrasounds on rhinos and handjobs on crows.”

Starred review from October 15, 2023
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* This young readers adaptation of Kolbert's Pulitzer Prize-winning adult title describes each of the five mass extinctions that have occurred on Earth, placing each in its historical context. Currently, she posits, we are in the sixth extinction, caused not by glaciation, an asteroid, or volcanic eruption, but by humans. Kolbert illustrates how we are threatening biodiversity through accounts with experts from around the world working with near-extinct or threatened species (the Panamanian golden frog; the Sumatran rhino). She shares their findings: "Amphibians are the world's most endangered class of animals; it's been calculated that the group's extinction rate could be as much as 45,000 times higher than the ordinary background rate." Kolbert's text, often wryly amusing, is enhanced by detailed, uncaptioned illustrations. Other times, her writing is beautifully expressive: "The stars were so bright they appeared to be straining out of the sky." She says people think that to prevent the sixth extinction they need to care more and make sacrifices, but "It doesn't much matter if people care or don't care. What matters is that people change the world." After reading her lively, entertaining, and very accessible book, young readers will be inspired to try. A glossary and index (not seen) conclude.

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December 1, 2023
This young readers' adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning original reads like a combination of a dystopian novel and a nature documentary. After a gripping prologue that firmly establishes humans as the cause of the Sixth Extinction, Kolbert navigates the history of the previous Big Five extinctions, introduces scientists who dedicate their lives to understanding them, and describes the efforts of modern researchers who are working to document and advocate for species around the world that are nearing extinction. The book concludes with a conundrum: Now that we know we're the cause of the Sixth Extinction, what will our evolutionary legacy be? The narrative of this abridged version contains each of the original book's 13 chapters and is written with specificity and wit. Kolbert's first-person account conveys technical ideas while also painting pictures of the personalities of the scientists themselves. The descriptions of creatures--some encountered as fossils--are pithy and vivid. Some scientific concepts and terms are explained, but in general a strong grasp of evolution and scientific principles is required to appreciate the text. The book has a few simple line drawings but no charts, photographs, or other visual means of clarification; more serious omissions are the lack of a bibliography and source notes. However, in addition to clearly synthesizing a large amount of research, this book's virtue lies in the emotional gut punch it delivers. A wide-ranging, urgent, and emotionally effective call to action. (author's note, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

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Starred review from January 1, 2024

Gr 3-7-"We are living through a revolution on every face of the Earth, which we created," states Pulitzer Prize winner Kolbert. This book discusses a final mass extinction that will trail five previous massive extinctions in the earth's history, the last being the dinosaurs. Humans are the only creatures to have altered the physical planet and continue to contribute to its species' downfall. People can view firsthand the effects of ocean acidification, invasive species, loss of species, higher levels of carbon dioxide, rising temperatures, and compromised accessible fresh water, signaling our end unless we take action. Highly expressive and vividly detailed writing conveys the tragedy that humanity is bringing on itself. Kolbert divides the work into the same 13 chapters as the adult version with little condensing; the text resonates with readers by focusing each chapter on a single species we have lost forever. The young reader's adaptation has black-and-white illustrations and a glossary to buffer a challenging text. While the book is eye-opening, the tone is not all negative, and Kolbert makes strong connections to history. Humans have "succeeded extravagantly at the expense of other species [like an] evolutionary arms race." Educators could use this work in literary nonfiction units analyzing Kolbert's metaphors and idioms, as well as units on natural history and current events. Even though this is a dense text, the subject matter alone should render it required curriculum. VERDICT Essential for science discussions on mass extinctions to challenge advanced middle grade readers.-Laura Dooley-Taylor

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