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Description of  A Natural History of the Future: What the Laws of Biology Tell Us about the Destiny of the Human Species

A leading ecologist argues that if humankind is to survive on a fragile planet, we must understand and obey its iron laws Our species has amassed unprecedented knowledge of nature, which we have tried to use to seize control of life and bend the planet to our will. InA Natural History of the Future, biologist Rob Dunn argues that such efforts are futile. We may see ourselves as lifes overlords, but we are instead at its mercy. In the evolution of antibiotic resistance, the power of natural selection to create biodiversity, and even the surprising life of the London Underground, Dunn finds laws of life that no human activity can annul. When we create artificial islands of crops, dump toxic waste, or build communities, we provide new materials for old laws to shape. Lifes future flourishing is not in question. Ours is. As ambitious as Edward Wilsons and as timely as Elizabeth Kolberts , sets a new standard for understanding the diversity and destiny of life itself. Read more