An ode to the unbreakable ecological links between the human species and the profusion of animal species threatened by humanity’s global footprint, “Wildlife in the Balance: Why Animals Are Humanity’s Best Hope” is a riot of stories, observations, and ideas. The book careens all over the place, but its central core—the notion that if we drive animals to extinction, we surely shall follow them—is never far away. An eloquent stylist, Simon Mustoe pours his heart out into a plea for a deeper understanding of our essential coexistence with animals and a new path forward. The final two chapters comprise a fervent eight-step “blueprint for human survival” and an animal-focused impact statement. Readers who think they understand concepts such as conservation and biodiversity would do well to enjoy, as I did, Wildlife in the Balance.
Book, album, and movie reviews
To rework a saying, humans are here for a good time, not a long time. Our species will survive for the blink of an eye in geological time and the notion that we will exist forever is a nonsense.