After They're Gone

Extinctions Past, Present and Future

By: Peter Marren

Narrated by: Stephen Boxer

The past, present and future of extinction from a world-leading naturalist.

We are in the midst of an extinction event: the sixth mass extinction on Earth and one entirely caused by mankind. All species become extinct sooner or later, but we have accelerated that natural process several hundredfold, and now, it is happening right in front of our eyes.

Extinction has a terrifying finality to it. And many species have already been lost to us forever; there is little we can do about that.

What we can do, however, is reflect, remember and ultimately acknowledge the unvarnished truth. We must see the natural world as it is, and not as we might want it to be. Our trajectory is one that has benefited one species alone—humankind. For all other beings, from mammals to fish, from birds to insects and coral, from plants to lichens and fungi, the future, for better or worse, is in our hands.

©2022 Peter Marren (P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

"Wise, challenging and offering some unexpected laughter in the dark, this is a rational and insightful account of the sixth great extinction event. Peter Marren is a brilliant writer and a national treasure." (Patrick Barkham)

"In his characteristic style, Peter Marren has humanised the story of wildlife losses with humour and wit but also with his enormous knowledge and deep love for the living world." (Mark Cocker)

"Thoughtful, fascinating and very timely." (Stephen Moss)

Beautiful but ruined by final two chapters

Most of the book colourfully described and fascinating case studies studded with some interjections that are sufficiently enlightened for my snowflake taste, such as pointing towards the issues of private land ownership and also bringing uo the fact the richest people got significantly richer over the pandemic. But it was capped off with overpopulation alarmism, cynicism towards radical climate movements, and even tabloidesque conspiracies about, and I am not exaggerating, genital deformities, among others.

Little to no skepticism is shown when describing the novel and "epic" idea "carbon capture", and I have never seen a naturalist be so uncritical towards the "Let's just clone the woolly mammoth" plan. He says that many conservationist would rather have all those resources invested in the stillborn mammoth idea used for actual species conservation, but he refuses to say he agrees with them.

Finally, this is the only book I have read discussing the climate crisis that would rather point at "developing countries" than hugely harmful corporatios such idk BRITISH PETROLEUM, which was not mentioned once, regardless of the extent of proven ecological damaged they have caused to date.

Skip it. Read Adrienne Buller.

Very moving and thought provoking

One of the best books I've listened to about the subject of extinction. Full of personal reflections that really makes this one stand out of the ordinary.