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Driven to Extinction: The Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity
Could more than a million species disappear in the 21st century?
Written by a leading scientist in the field, Driven to Extinction draws upon fascinating case studies from around the world, providing balanced and well-reasoned insight into the potential impacts of climate change on the diversity of life. Richard Pearson focuses on the science of the issue, revealing what has happened––as well as what is likely to happen––to some of the world's weirdest and most wonderful species as global temperatures continue to rise.
Written by a leading scientist in the field, Driven to Extinction draws upon fascinating case studies from around the world, providing balanced and well-reasoned insight into the potential impacts of climate change on the diversity of life. Richard Pearson focuses on the science of the issue, revealing what has happened––as well as what is likely to happen––to some of the world's weirdest and most wonderful species as global temperatures continue to rise.
263 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2011
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109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 24, 2018
Close to giving this book 4 stars, but left out some things that could/should have been expanded on in my opinion. Gives many examples of habitats that are being affected by climate change, and the resiliency that nature has to withstand changes. Gives counter examples and seems to fair to both sides. While that is nice, feel the author should have put his foot down a little bit more and said these things are happening and they will have an impact on the future. Seems to dance around that subject. Possibly biggest gripe, Pearson makes it seem that relocation is a given, while for a lot of these animals it is not. Understand his book is on climate change, not habitat relocation by animals, but expecting animals in today's environment to be able to relocate to more ideal situations is unreasonable. Read a book that was over 500 pages talking about this luxury is continuing to shrink for wildlife, and they are slowly becoming different islands of wildlife unaffected by human interference (direct interference.) This author gave a couple paragraphs to the thought of relocation.
Still a book packed full of information and easy to read. The climate is changing, it is affecting the environment, if that is good or bad for us remains to be seen. Like that he left up to the reader to decide the importance of the subject.
Still a book packed full of information and easy to read. The climate is changing, it is affecting the environment, if that is good or bad for us remains to be seen. Like that he left up to the reader to decide the importance of the subject.
December 10, 2021
I am not sure I knew what I was going to end up learning from this book. I feel like that it really could've gone in various directions but I didn't really care for where it ended up. As an environmentalist, I like to read & learn about the different aspects of the climate crisis. The biodiversity that I learned about was sort of interesting but it was pretty focused so that made it kind of boring too. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect but it was unusual to have it be so specific when it came to species it decided to do research on. I mean frogs? Who would have guessed how important they were to the ecosystem? So I guess it is what it is & you do have to pay attention to what species are native vs. invasive as that can actually mess things up pretty badly. Sometimes it is the smaller species that you don't pay attention to that are actually making a world of difference. I guess if you are a science type this might be more for you than those that aren't as clued in. I guess it just seemed a bit dry to me so some parts were not really enjoyable. then again research isn't my thing, but somebody has to do it & then report on the results.
March 14, 2020
What I love about this book is that it makes you understand the problem from its roots. The author did a brilliant job at explaining all of the examples given in this book briefly. This book would take you to different spots around the world. If you want to understand how scientists predict what would happen to us, animals, and plants in the future, READ THIS BOOK.
June 14, 2012
Judul : Driven to Extinction: The Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity
Penulis/Editor : Richard Pearson, Ph.D.
Ringkasan : Akibat perubahan iklim, keanekaragaman hayati dunia turut berubah. Beberapa fauna di Costa Rica hingga Madagaskar pun turut dikabarkan mengalami kepunahan. Di masa ini, kita dihadapkan pada kenyataan hilangnya beberapa spesies kodok dan reptil, perpindahan habitat, hingga migrasi burung/ikan dengan perubahan arah; semua itu, melalui pemaparan dalam buku ini, konon disebabkan oleh pemanasan global. Bukan bencana besar yang menyebabkan semua itu terjadi, namun sebatas perubahan suhu bumi. Kini, pertanyaannya, untuk tetap bertahan: bagaimana spesies (flora maupun fauna) beradaptasi dengan lingkungan yang baru, apakah mereka perlu berpindah ataukah mereka memang mesti punah? Melalui interpretasinya terhadap data-data spesies yang punah, Pearson menyayangkan masa depan bumi kita yang, bila tidak cepat ditanggapi, akan kehilangan banyak spesies penting dalam siklus/piramida makanan.
Daftar Isi :
Preface 6
Chapter 1 A Climate for Life 9
Chapter 2 Herps on Hills 23
Chapter 3 To the Ends of the Earth 43
Chapter 4 Out of Sync 61
Chapter 5 A Global Fingerprint 79
Chapter 6 Extinction Risk 97
Chapter 7 Running to Keep Still 149
Chapter 8 Complex Communities 171
Chapter 9 Crying Wolf? 191
Chapter 10 Twenty-First-Century Conservation 207
Notes 226
References 240
Further Reading 254
Conversions 255
Acknowledgments 255
Photo Credits 257
Index 258
Bahasa : Inggris
Halaman : 263
Penerbit : Sterling Publishing
Tahun terbit : 2011
Harga : $ 14.19
Penulis/Editor : Richard Pearson, Ph.D.
Ringkasan : Akibat perubahan iklim, keanekaragaman hayati dunia turut berubah. Beberapa fauna di Costa Rica hingga Madagaskar pun turut dikabarkan mengalami kepunahan. Di masa ini, kita dihadapkan pada kenyataan hilangnya beberapa spesies kodok dan reptil, perpindahan habitat, hingga migrasi burung/ikan dengan perubahan arah; semua itu, melalui pemaparan dalam buku ini, konon disebabkan oleh pemanasan global. Bukan bencana besar yang menyebabkan semua itu terjadi, namun sebatas perubahan suhu bumi. Kini, pertanyaannya, untuk tetap bertahan: bagaimana spesies (flora maupun fauna) beradaptasi dengan lingkungan yang baru, apakah mereka perlu berpindah ataukah mereka memang mesti punah? Melalui interpretasinya terhadap data-data spesies yang punah, Pearson menyayangkan masa depan bumi kita yang, bila tidak cepat ditanggapi, akan kehilangan banyak spesies penting dalam siklus/piramida makanan.
Daftar Isi :
Preface 6
Chapter 1 A Climate for Life 9
Chapter 2 Herps on Hills 23
Chapter 3 To the Ends of the Earth 43
Chapter 4 Out of Sync 61
Chapter 5 A Global Fingerprint 79
Chapter 6 Extinction Risk 97
Chapter 7 Running to Keep Still 149
Chapter 8 Complex Communities 171
Chapter 9 Crying Wolf? 191
Chapter 10 Twenty-First-Century Conservation 207
Notes 226
References 240
Further Reading 254
Conversions 255
Acknowledgments 255
Photo Credits 257
Index 258
Bahasa : Inggris
Halaman : 263
Penerbit : Sterling Publishing
Tahun terbit : 2011
Harga : $ 14.19
October 10, 2025
I, unexpectedly, enjoyed this book!
I truly appreciate the effort of author to introduce all the aspects of the topic and explain scientific experiments and findings in a simple, clear, and interesting way.
This book raises awareness as to what's going on around us in the vast nature, and makes us think of how creatures interact with each other and with their surroundings.
It gives you examples from different kingdoms, from plants, to insects, to charismatic creatures like the Polar bears. all affected by climate change, all facing the risk of declining populations and even extinction due to climate change.
It tells the story of living creatures around us that go through difficult time trying to preserve its existence in a deteriorated habitat. we are not so different from them. so for how long will we be able to ignore it?
how this affect the biodiversity in our planet, and the ecosystem we live in. How much of the estimations is true, how dangerous it could be. what are our options to avoid the catastrophic consequences of the disruption of the ecosystem?.. that's what the book is trying to explain.
A very interesting book indeed.
I truly appreciate the effort of author to introduce all the aspects of the topic and explain scientific experiments and findings in a simple, clear, and interesting way.
This book raises awareness as to what's going on around us in the vast nature, and makes us think of how creatures interact with each other and with their surroundings.
It gives you examples from different kingdoms, from plants, to insects, to charismatic creatures like the Polar bears. all affected by climate change, all facing the risk of declining populations and even extinction due to climate change.
It tells the story of living creatures around us that go through difficult time trying to preserve its existence in a deteriorated habitat. we are not so different from them. so for how long will we be able to ignore it?
how this affect the biodiversity in our planet, and the ecosystem we live in. How much of the estimations is true, how dangerous it could be. what are our options to avoid the catastrophic consequences of the disruption of the ecosystem?.. that's what the book is trying to explain.
A very interesting book indeed.
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May 19, 2025DNF at 56%. I think I have a pretty high tolerance for dry nonfiction, but I do have a limit and this exceeds it. On the positive side: from what I did read, the author does show the interconnectedness of ecosystems; how changes to climate impact one species and the downstream effects that has on the other species that depend on it. (Unsurprisingly, things do not look good.)
The author also has in mind the “climate skeptics” in his audience. Not one myself, I can’t speak to how persuasive he is in this regard, but those points felt to me like they should be a) expanded upon for that audience, and b) put into a separate book entirely. What I wanted to read were the parts about animals/their ecosystems, but the writing on those topics did not engage me, sadly.
The author also has in mind the “climate skeptics” in his audience. Not one myself, I can’t speak to how persuasive he is in this regard, but those points felt to me like they should be a) expanded upon for that audience, and b) put into a separate book entirely. What I wanted to read were the parts about animals/their ecosystems, but the writing on those topics did not engage me, sadly.
September 11, 2019
Excellent. Really enjoyed
April 28, 2020
Clear explanation.
January 11, 2023
As a first time read on the topic, this book suits and the author’s balanced approach is impressive. For a more advanced reader, the presentation will unlikely deepen your knowledge base much.
July 23, 2014
3.5 Stars
The beginning chapters highlighted the disaster that humanity could face from climate change. A few degrees higher, and perhaps a quarter of species could possibly vanish.
However, the author also explores creatures that have the capacity to migrate, change mating and breeding habits, food sources, etc. In order to deal with the changes in temperature.
However this is the select few, and with climate change compounded with other issues like deforestation, overfishing, etc we are bound to have quite major changes on the Earth.
He explains the issue with melting ice caps, not only the charismatic organisms like polar bears are hurt, but also the melted caps will lead to a massive amount of methane released into the air.
He further goes through possible measures the world could take in order to combat the issues that face the destruction of biodiversity.
I enjoyed the pictures that were included in the book, but was not quite find of the authors writing style. He consistently summarized what his point was every few paragraphs, and every single chapter. In fact, the first chapter stipulates exactly what one is going to read in that following pages.
Never the less, it was a decent read, and enlightening on the issues that climate change and other issues could lead to, in a relatively open minded perspective. In fact, he addressed those that oppose the dramatic effects of climate change, and even those that publish the other extreme of the worst that climate change could cause.
The beginning chapters highlighted the disaster that humanity could face from climate change. A few degrees higher, and perhaps a quarter of species could possibly vanish.
However, the author also explores creatures that have the capacity to migrate, change mating and breeding habits, food sources, etc. In order to deal with the changes in temperature.
However this is the select few, and with climate change compounded with other issues like deforestation, overfishing, etc we are bound to have quite major changes on the Earth.
He explains the issue with melting ice caps, not only the charismatic organisms like polar bears are hurt, but also the melted caps will lead to a massive amount of methane released into the air.
He further goes through possible measures the world could take in order to combat the issues that face the destruction of biodiversity.
I enjoyed the pictures that were included in the book, but was not quite find of the authors writing style. He consistently summarized what his point was every few paragraphs, and every single chapter. In fact, the first chapter stipulates exactly what one is going to read in that following pages.
Never the less, it was a decent read, and enlightening on the issues that climate change and other issues could lead to, in a relatively open minded perspective. In fact, he addressed those that oppose the dramatic effects of climate change, and even those that publish the other extreme of the worst that climate change could cause.
March 6, 2012
This book by Richard Pearson, is all about climate change. This book is for people who like the environment. It is quite an advanced book for a 12 year old. Driven to Extinction is about how climate change has or is going to affect the planet. The book has been read by many famous people such as Al Gore and David Attenborough. The book was published in 2009 and has recently come out.
The author Richard Pearson is a scientist and is quite famous in the world; he has won numerous awards. The reason I am writing this review is because the book is very detailed and describes the true facts about the world. Driven to Extinction explains what we are doing to the world and how the world and the animals in it are developing and changing in it for their fight for survival. I like the book because the details are very good as he uses facts and statistics. I also like the book because it is challenging.
The author Richard Pearson is a scientist and is quite famous in the world; he has won numerous awards. The reason I am writing this review is because the book is very detailed and describes the true facts about the world. Driven to Extinction explains what we are doing to the world and how the world and the animals in it are developing and changing in it for their fight for survival. I like the book because the details are very good as he uses facts and statistics. I also like the book because it is challenging.
October 5, 2013
It was a well written and informative book. The research process that Pearson talks about really got me visualizing how all the data was collected and I was amazed at how much work is put into getting accurate statistics and information. The beautiful pictures definitely added to the book and were great for visualization as well. It did not have an extremely biased side about the world being destroyed and the negative impacts of climate change like other climate change based media I have come across.
September 5, 2012
A really good read. If you want a general explanation to how climate change and to the extent climate change is effecting us then read this book. The author uses many scientific studies to support his reasoning. He avoidings using scare language and tries to even out the playing feild which have the spectics and the extremists of climate change.
April 29, 2023
Good Concise Book on Climate Change
This is a good concise book on Climate Change and Biodiversity. It explains how Climate Change is so rapid, many biological organisms won’t be able to adapt quick enough and risk extinction. It also discusses much more. A good introduction.
This is a good concise book on Climate Change and Biodiversity. It explains how Climate Change is so rapid, many biological organisms won’t be able to adapt quick enough and risk extinction. It also discusses much more. A good introduction.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews