Description: "It seems self-evident to most of us that diverse ecosystems and societies are intrinsically valuable, but in fact the current fascination with diversity is a relatively recent phenomenon. What is also clear from our current perspective is that the way we value diversity depends crucially on our sense that it is precarious-that it is something actively threatened, and that its loss could have profound consequences. In other words, fears about extinction permeate current discussions of biological and cultural diversity, and so, David Sepkoski argues, if we better understand the history of extinction, we can make better sense of our fears and anxieties about diversity loss. This book shows why we simply cannot appreciate how and why diversity has become such a central value in our cultural landscape without understanding how extinction came to embody a sense of catastrophic threat"--
Brief description: David Sepkoski is the Thomas M. Siebel Chair in the History of Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of several books, most recently Rereading the Fossil Record: The Growth of Paleobiology as an Evolutionary Discipline, also published by the University of Chicago Press.
Review Quotes: "This book is impeccably researched, and--rather than a popular science book--does not repackage and distil others' work but provides a novel, academic argument. This fresh take on how we collectively see extinction--and its flipside, loss of diversity--will help readers understand and contextualise the current crisis and the Anthropocene. Sepkoski will give many pause to reflect not just on how our research is influenced by our broader culture, but also how important it is to influence and impact society and politics: to move the needle on the climate and biodiversity crises. . . . Buy a copy of Catastrophic Thinking to better understand--and even be inspired to change--these terrifying times we are living in."-- "Holocene"