World traveler and NPR commentator Craig Childs explores our shifting, unstable world in Apocalyptic Planet--from the star-shaped sand dunes of the Sonoran desert of Mexico to deep glacial crevasses in Chile to the lava fields of Hawaii. In all, he travels to nine locations, "each an apocalyptic landscape in its own right, an analogue for a likely ending to life even remotely as we know it," introducing us to Earth's major geological upheavals along the way. The world has experienced five major near-extinction periods over the course of 4.5 billion years, he tells us, where "up to 90 percent of life in oceans and 75 percent of life on land have been suddenly eliminated."
The next extinction cycle has already begun, he continues, precipitated by human interaction with the planet on multiple levels. Global warming is one of the biggest hazards, with unprecedented glacial melting initiating a series of chain reactions. As ice weight is removed, the earth shifts, triggering earthquakes and tsunamis. The water from melting ice floods narrow river valleys, destroying homes and crops, and the influx of cold water run-off shifts ocean temperatures and changes the direction of ocean currents, affecting weather conditions worldwide. Scientific, yet personal and passionate, Apocalyptic Planet will excite readers as they ponder the question Child poses: "What would it mean to be the last ones standing on an ultimately sere and ruined planet?" --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer