A. Y. Glikson - The fatal species : from warlike primates to planetary mass extinction

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Are we fit to defy the blueprint of our evolution? In a kaleidoscopic journey from the prehistoric myths of ancient Australians to the moron-dominated global disinformation jungle of today, Glikson shows us that we are foundering on our path. Swarm intelligence has turned us into a super-species out of control where leaving what is left of our planet could one day be humanities only chance of survival. This lavishly illustrated little book is a blend of science, history, philosophy, art, and poetry. Its carefully crafted prose grips the reader from the beginning and does not let go. It is certainly provocative, but it does not preach. Rather, it reaches out to our humanity and will be fondly remembered for doing so. There are obviously hundreds of publications about any of the main aspects of this book, but I know of none that go anyway near its extraordinary blend of human endeavors. Professor John Veron, Australian Institute of Marine Science and International Society for Reef Studies

The book is much more. It bowled me over with its depth of scholarship, clear writing and beautiful illustrations to provide insight into the working of the collective human mind by bringing together evidence from archaeology, literature, the arts, the sciences, animal and human behaviour to illustrate our current predicament. It leaves me searching in my own mind to equate humanitys current indolence to the threats confronting us, in stark contrast to our ability for space travel, for the creation of computers which can think thousands of times faster than we can and the intellectual Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Adelaide University ability to write books like The Fatal Species. Professor David Shearman Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Adelaide University.

This wonderful book by Andrew Glikson says it all!!! Dr Helen Caldicott. Australian physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate.

A remarkable blend of sobering science, engaging visuals and poignant bits of literary awareness. The course of human evolution on Earth has delivered us to our darkest reckoning. The Fatal Species is an elegy for an intelligent civilization struggling to get past its own worst instincts. Professor Geoffrey Holland, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University.

I quite like the manuscript. It is certainly different as it progresses rapidly through a range of ideas and images and finishes with a surrealist rather poetic personal summary of the human condition. It raises lots of questions and issues in ways I have not seen elsewhere. For instance the cooperative behaviour of ants suggesting some collective form of intelligence is not necessarily original but a fun idea that fits well within the context. It could be mentioned that ants actually go to war. I like the way the book presents a different way of describing the human condition through history to an uncertain future. I find it to be quite readable even though the peppering of ideas is a little scatter-gunned. Half prose half poetry. An interesting mixture, it does project a sense of mystery. Professor Bob Pidgeon, Curtin University.

I am obliged to Brenda McAvoy for meticulous editing and proof reading of the book and for numerous discussions. Professors John (Charley) Veron, David Shearman, Geoffrey Holland, Bob Pidgeon and Dr Helen Caldicott provided generous reviews of the manuscript. Professor Will Steffen offered helpful comments on climate science aspects of the book. I thank Noam Chomsky and Helen Caldicott for correspondence and Judith Crispin for the citation.