{"product_id":"sixth-extinction-elizabeth-kolbert-9781250887313","title":"The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History | Elizabeth Kolbert","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: inherit; color: #333; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 20px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003e“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.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 20px;\"\u003eBook Overview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eWinner of the Pulitzer Prize and named one of the decade’s most impactful nonfiction works, \u003cem\u003eThe Sixth Extinction\u003c\/em\u003e by acclaimed journalist Elizabeth Kolbert delivers a searing, scientifically grounded examination of the catastrophic loss of biodiversity unfolding in real time. In this newly updated 10th-anniversary edition, Kolbert adds a fresh epilogue addressing the worsening trends and urgency of climate intervention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eThrough compelling narratives that blend field reportage with evolutionary biology, Kolbert investigates the alarming disappearance of species across land and sea. She introduces readers to endangered creatures—from the charismatic Panamanian golden frog to the coral colonies of the Great Barrier Reef—placing their stories within the context of geological time and human-driven change. With deep insight and journalistic precision, Kolbert traces how deforestation, carbon emissions, ocean acidification, and invasive species are accelerating the pace of extinction at rates unseen since the age of the dinosaurs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElizabeth Kolbert\u003c\/strong\u003e is a staff writer for \u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e. Her series on global warming, \u003cem\u003eThe Climate of Man\u003c\/em\u003e, won the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s magazine writing award and a National Academies communications award. She is a two-time National Magazine Award winner. She has written several books including \u003cem\u003eCatastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eCore Audience \u0026amp; Intended Use\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEnvironmental Scholars \u0026amp; Students:\u003c\/strong\u003e Researchers investigating modern biodiversity loss, the Anthropocene, and ecological conservation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSustainability Advocates:\u003c\/strong\u003e Individuals seeking rigorous, scientifically backed data on climate intervention, carbon emissions, and ocean acidification.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurious Readers \u0026amp; Science Enthusiasts:\u003c\/strong\u003e Anyone passionate about planetary health, natural history, and the future of life on Earth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eProduct Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 15px; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003e\n      \u003ctbody\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left; width: 35%;\"\u003eFull Title\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eThe Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eElizabeth Kolbert\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublisher \u0026amp; Imprint\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003ePicador (An imprint of Macmillan Publishers)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eJune 13, 2023 (Modern Picador Trade Paperback Reissue Edition)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eBinding Format\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eTrade Paperback (PB)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrint Length\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e336 Pages (Includes integrated illustrations, maps, and photographic records)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eLanguage\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eISBN-13 \/ ISBN-10\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e9781250887313 \/ 1250887313\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrimary Genre (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eSCI027000 \/ SCIENCE \/ Life Sciences \/ Evolution\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eSub-Genres (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eNAT045000 \/ NATURE \/ Environmental Conservation \u0026amp; Protection; SCI008000 \/ SCIENCE \/ Earth Sciences \/ Geology; HIS000000 \/ HISTORY \/ General\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eItem Condition\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003ePre-Owned \/ Very Good\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eDimensions \u0026amp; Weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e5.38 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches | 9.6 oz (approx. 0.60 lbs)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n    \u003c\/table\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions About The Sixth Extinction\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat is the main narrative hook and core ecological warning driving the book?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe book serves as a sweeping, high-stakes chronicle of the planet's ongoing biological crisis. Elizabeth Kolbert warns that over the last half-billion years, Earth has experienced five cataclysmic mass extinctions that decimated biodiversity. The narrative demonstrates that humanity is currently engineering a sixth mass extinction event, weaponizing the atmosphere, oceans, and global landscapes at a speed unparalleled in geological history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat specific structural layout does the author use to frame this global crisis?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe book uses a brilliant thirteen-chapter structural layout, with each chapter focusing on a single, compelling “anchor species” to explain a broader ecological principle. The narrative transitions smoothly from ancient, extinct titans like the American mastodon and the great auk to modern, critically endangered organisms like the Panamanian golden frog and staghorn coral, turning abstract data into intimate environmental profiles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat primary psychological and scientific themes are explored in the text?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe text delivers a profound investigation into the Anthropocene, ecological fragmentation, and ocean acidification. Kolbert explores how modern civilization acts as a singular, destructive planetary force, destroying ancient geographical boundaries through rapid carbon emissions, global travel, and habitat destruction, completely overriding the traditional rules of evolutionary adaptation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eDid this environmental masterpiece win any major national or global accolades?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eYes, triumphantly so. The Sixth Extinction achieved the absolute pinnacle of journalism success by winning the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It was also an instant New York Times bestseller and was widely celebrated by critics, educators, and scientists globally as one of the most vital, definitive environmental books ever written.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhy is this book uniquely significant to the author's personal background and transition as a climate communicator?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThis work represents a massive career milestone because Elizabeth Kolbert spent decades as a highly clinical political reporter for The New York Times before joining The New Yorker. Her rigorous background in political journalism allowed her to approach the climate crisis not as an abstract academic theory, but as an active, boots-on-the-ground crime scene. This book marks the exact turning point where she successfully synthesized complex paleontology, marine biology, and global atmospheric data into a spellbinding narrative, proving that the tools of investigative political reporting are exactly what is required to cross-examine human behavior and hold humanity accountable for changing the history of life on Earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003c!-- BUST-DOWN DISCLAIMER --\u003e\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #f4f6f8; border-left: 3px solid #2c3e50;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eCondition Notice: Pre-Owned \/ Second-Hand Product\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll books, box sets, and multi-volume collections\u003c\/strong\u003e offered by Bust-Down Books are sold in pre-owned, used, and second-hand condition, unless explicitly designated as new in the individual product listing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Details \u0026amp; Grading:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrevious Ownership:\u003c\/strong\u003e These items have been previously owned, handled, and read. As such, copies may exhibit typical signs of shelf wear, including but not limited to minor creasing, scuffing, edge wear, bent page corners, remainder marks, or spine softening. Paperback editions may show minor cover curling, spine creasing, or edge rubbing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMarkings \u0026amp; Personalization:\u003c\/strong\u003e Items may occasionally contain inscriptions, library stamps, owner names, marginalia, or highlighting. Individual item descriptions reflect significant deviations from standard acceptable condition.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupplemental Materials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Secondary and digital components—such as publisher access codes, CD-ROMs, bonus inserts, registration keys, or workbook activity pages—are not guaranteed to be included, active, or unredeemed unless specifically stated in the product description.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst Sale Doctrine \u0026amp; Non-Affiliation Statement:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAll items sold on this platform are original, lawfully acquired copies being resold under the protection of the First Sale Doctrine (codified under U.S. copyright law, 17 U.S.C. § 109, and applicable international equivalents permitting the secondary resale of lawfully manufactured goods).\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eBust-Down Books, LTD. is an independent, secondary-market bookseller. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, or sponsored by the original authors, copyright holders, publishers, or trademark owners of the titles offered for sale. All registered trademarks, author names, book titles, and publisher imprints remain the sole property of their respective owners and are used strictly for nominative identification and descriptive purposes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": [\"Product\", \"Book\"],\n      \"name\": \"The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\n        \"name\": \"Elizabeth Kolbert\"\n      },\n      \"isbn\": \"9781250887313\",\n      \"sameAs\": \"1250887313\",\n      \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Paperback\",\n      \"numberOfPages\": 336,\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Picador\"\n      },\n      \"datePublished\": \"2023-06-13\",\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\n      \"image\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9781250887313.jpg?v=1789652359\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/sixth-extinction-elizabeth-kolbert-9781250887313\",\n      \"offers\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n        \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\",\n        \"price\": \"14.99\",\n        \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\",\n        \"itemCondition\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/UsedCondition\"\n      },\n      \"about\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"SCI027000 \/ SCIENCE \/ Life Sciences \/ Evolution\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"NAT045000 \/ NATURE \/ Environmental Conservation \u0026 Protection\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"SCI008000 \/ SCIENCE \/ Earth Sciences \/ Geology\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"HIS000000 \/ HISTORY \/ General\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What is the main narrative hook and core ecological warning driving the book?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"The book serves as a sweeping, high-stakes chronicle of the planet's ongoing biological crisis. 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