Argues that the Earth is confronting a disaster in the making - an ecological crisis that, if left unresolved, could lead to mass extinction on the scale of that which killed the dinosaurs. This book reviews evidence for this "biodiversity crisis"???', showing that species are dying out at an unnaturally rapid rate. "...a superb primer on why we should worry about biodiversity ... a clear, concise and beautifully illustrated tour of modern biology."---Susan Okie, The Washington Post Book World