Publishers Weekly
04/01/2024
Science journalist Jabr debuts with an enlightening examination of how living organisms have influenced their environments. According to Jabr, mammoths likely helped permafrost, and the carbon sequestered therein, stay frozen by digging it out from under “heat-trapping layers of snow” while rummaging for food. The arrival of land plants produced enough oxygen to thicken the ozone, which provided protection from ultraviolet radiation and enabled the emergence of the first terrestrial animals. Microbes have had a massive impact on the planet, Jabr contends, describing how ocean-dwelling microorganisms possibly “helped create the continents” by producing wet clay that “effectively lubricat” the ocean crust, promoting the process by which rock slips into the Earth’s mantle, melts into magma, gets expelled by volcanoes, and then solidifies as new land. Lamenting humanity’s outsized ecological footprint, Jabr notes how homo sapiens have acidified the oceans, stymied fire’s role in regulating forest ecosystems, and generated vast amounts of plastics that are killing wildlife. The science highlights the complex ways in which the planet has been shaped by its inhabitants, and Jabr’s sobering look at the harm wrought by humans finds some hope amid the gloom, suggesting that innovating carbon capture technology and cultivating oceanic kelp forests constitute promising strategies for sequestering atmospheric carbon. The result is an edifying and holistic view of life on Earth. (June)
From the Publisher
With the curiosity of a reporter, the mind of a scientist, and the lyricism of a poet, Jabr explores the extraordinary tapestry of life.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“A glorious paean to our living world.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of An Immense World
“A remarkable achievement.”—Ben Goldfarb, award-winning author of Crossings
“Astonishing.”—Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes
“Fascinating, thought-provoking . . ., inspiring.”—Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction
“Quite simply, a work of genius.”—Robert Moor, bestselling author of On Trails: An Exploration
“Mesmerizing . . . I found myself gasping at revelations on every page.”—Sabrina Imbler, author of How Far the Light Reaches
“A candy store of mind-blowing facts and fascinating anecdotes.”—Kate Marvel, climate scientist and author
“Wow. This wondrous book reveals our living planet for the miracle that it is.“—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words
“Gorgeously written and brimming with fascinating science and provocative ideas.”—Dan Fagin, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Toms River
“A compelling argument that Earth is a living planet.”—James Kasting, professor of geosciences, Penn State University
“Beautiful and insightful.”—Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad
“Thrilling . . . More than excellent science journalism—it evokes wonder.”—Tyler Volk, Earth system scientist, New York University, and author of Gaia’s Body
”A fresh and mesmerizing meditation on what it means to be alive.”—Andrew Revkin, renowned environmental journalist and author
”A story so important and compelling that I am going to be recommending it for years.”—Hank Green, New York Times bestselling author and science communicator
