“The Sixth Extinction” by Elizabeth Kolbert: let’s read + discuss!

Welcome back! For this round of the book club we chose The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert – a book painfully relevant, as the eponymous extinction is unfolding all around us. Summary:

> Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us.

> In prose that is at once frank, entertaining, and deeply informed, The New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert tells us why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before. Interweaving research in half a dozen disciplines, descriptions of the fascinating species that have already been lost, and the history of extinction as a concept, Kolbert provides a moving and comprehensive account of the disappearances occurring before our very eyes. She shows that the sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Sounds heavy and it probably will be, but the book has also been described as optimistic and utopian, so let’s see for ourselves!

You can find more information and reviews on the GoodReads page and here is The Guardian’s review.

Curious? Then order a copy at your local book shop or online:

– [The book on Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-sixth-extinction-an-unnatural-history-elizabeth-kolbert/8424309?ean=9781250062185)

– The book on Amazon

In case you were wondering: The event’s photo shows the letterpressed TOC edition of the book, available here. Only 998 copies exist and they are all signed by the author. I got it as a gift a while ago.

We usually discuss in English and/or German, depending on which languages are present, but most likely the conversation will be in English. You definitely don’t need a literature degree to participate! It’s important to us to listen to each other, to treat everyone with respect and to create a safe setting.

The discussion takes place virtually in Zoom and the meeting link will be added to this event on the day it happens. Just check back here half an hour before the meetup starts!

We usually discuss for 1.5-2 hours. It doesn’t matter if you have actually finished the book – everyone is welcome, as long as they have read at least a few pages and bring their impression.