THE TIMES,ECONOMIST AND GUARDIAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017It is accepted wisdom today that human beings have irrevocably damagedthe natural world. Yet whatif this narrative obscures a more hopeful truthIn Inheritors of the Earth,renowned ecologist and environmentalist Chris D. Thomas overturns theaccepted story,revealing how natureis fighting back.Many animals and plants actually benefit from ourpresence,raising biological diversity in most parts of the world andincreasing the rate at which new species are formed,perhaps to thehighest level in Earth's history. From Costa Rican tropical forests tothe thoroughly transformed British landscape,nature is copingsurprisingly well in the human epoch.Chris Thomas takes us on agripping round-the-world journey to meet the enterprising creatures thatare thriving in the Anthropocene,from York's ochre-coloured commabutterfly to hybrid bison in North America,scarlet-beaked pukekos inNew Zealand,and Asian palms forming thickets in the European Alps. Inso doing,he questions our irrational persecution of so-called'invasivespecies',and shows us that we should not treat the Earth as a fadedmasterpiece that we need to restore. After all,if life can recover fromthe asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs,might it not be able tosurvive the onslaughts of a technological apeCombining anaturalist's eye for wildlife with an ecologist's wide lens,ChrisThomas forces us to re-examine humanity's relationship with nature,andreminds us that the story of life is the story of change.
Publisher: Penguin Books LtdISBN: 9780141982311Number of pages: 320Weight: 236 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 18 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
An immensely significant book. It is fluently written,carefully thought through,ruthlessly argued,neatly illustrated with case studies - and shockingly contrarianHis flowing narrative is rich in stories of his fieldwork round the world...Thomas's vision...aspires to something nobler,more optimisticFascinating...Chris Thomas examines our human relationships with nature,bad and good,and sets out a more hopeful truth to current narratives and alarms...This is a rich and timely tale,fearless too,with examples and cases drawn from ecosystems across the world(A) thrilling and uplifting counter to the pessimism of the AnthropoceneA decent and humane tale about the threat and promise of biodiversity changeThe most interesting / challenging / surprising thing I've read about the natural world for yearsA provocative book that challenges us to look positively at our human changes to the natural world and reimagine conservation in the AnthropoceneChris Thomas takes the million-year view of today's human-dominated world. The result is a thoughtful,provocative,and improbably hopeful bookWith a perspective that stretches many epochs into the past and forward to the year One Million A.D.,Thomas reframes Earth's current ecological upheaval as a time of great creation as well as great loss. Without minimizing or excusing the damage humans have done to the planet,Inheritors of the Earth opens our eyes to the splendid and fascinating ways nature is adapting and evolving to the world we have made. He urges us to take our cue from the majestic dynamism of nature and work with other species as they change and move,rather than fighting an impossible battle to freeze the planet in time. All change is not bad. I thought I was an optimist. Thomas is the real ecological optimist.With Inheritors of the Earth,Chris D. Thomas issues a challenge to the conventional view of nature in decline.He urges us to embrace the environmental changes we've set in motion,daring to suggest that human activities will ultimately increase the diversity of life on Earth.A timely and provocative readProvocative...Filled with lovely anecdotes...Remarkably clearAn immensely significant book. It is fluently written,carefully thought through,ruthlessly argued,neatly illustrated with case studies - and shockingly contrarian
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