The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire: Why Our Species Is on the Edge of Extinction

by Henry Gee

Overview

By the award-winning author of A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: a history of humanity on the brink of decline.

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We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more than ten thousand years, the rate of human population growth is slowing down. In the middle of this century population growth will stop, and the number of people on Earth will start to decline - fast.

In this provocative book, award-winning science writer Henry Gee offers a concise, brilliantly-told history of our species—and argues that we are on a rapid, one-way trip to extinction. The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire narrates the dramatic rise of humanity. The human story is relatively brief—the oldest fossils of H. Sapiens date to approximately 300,000 years ago—yet the spread of our species has been unstoppable…until recently.

As Gee demonstrates, our environment is becoming inimical to human life in many locations; our core resources of water, arable land, and air are diminishing; and new diseases, simmering conflicts, and ambiguous technologies threaten our collective health. Can we still change our course? Or is our own extinction inevitable?

With assured narration, dramatic stories, and his signature sprightly humor, Henry Gee envisions new opportunities for the future of humanity—a future that will reward facing challenges with ingenuity, foresight, and cooperation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250325587
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/18/2025
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

HENRY GEE is a senior editor at Nature and the author of several books, including Jacob’s Ladder, In Search of Deep Time, The Science of Middle-earth, and The Accidental Species. He has appeared on BBC television and radio and NPR's All Things Considered, and has written for The Guardian, The Times, and BBC Science Focus. He lives in Cromer, Norfolk, England, with his family and numerous pets.

Editorial Reviews

‘This is a real corker of a book, beautifully crafted, superbly researched, witty, with lashes of humour, telling the gripping story of why our human species will ultimately go the way of the dinosaurs. Are we all just drug-crazed lemmings willingly racing towards the cliff of extinction? Compulsory reading for all humans, mandatory for politicians. Can we possibly survive? Please tell me, Dr Gee, and tell it to me straight, just how much time have we all got?"

--John Long, Professor in Palaeontology at Flinders University and author of The Secret History of Sharks- the Rise of the Ocean’s Most Fearsome Predators

"Wide ranging...enjoyable...A serious but nonetheless entertaining look at the human race’s long-term prospects." —Kirkus Reviews

"Henry Gee wrote my favourite book of last year and has now written my favourite book of next year. How he manages to expand my mind, and my knowledge of life on earth. while making me giggle at our own forthcoming extinction, well, t’aint natural. Put this at the head of your reading lists immediately, people. Before it’s too late." —Eric Idle

"Exhilarating . . . With the witty and conversational style that won him the Royal Society Science Book prize, Henry Gee tackles the existential question of humanity’s future. Measured and enlightening, Henry Gee is a sage." —Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

"Like Jared Diamond meets Arthur C. Clarke with a dash of Douglas Adams, this deserves to be widely read and debated." —Philip Ball, author of How Life Works and Critical Mass

"A fascinating, deeply researched study of our evolutionary journey and a wonderfully enjoyable adventure." —Michael Bond, author of Wayfinding

“Splendid…presents a familiar tale in absorbing fashion.” - John Gribbin, Literary Review

"The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire is hugely informative and entertaining ... I can't think of another author who could pull off Gee's straight-talking, detached-yet-jovial style. He is such an amiable guide to our doom." - Rowan Hooper, The New Scientist

"Bold and insightful ... Henry Gee presents a sobering vision of humankind's future, as intriguing as it is unsettling." —Adrian Woolfson, Science Journal

"engrossing ... addictive ... Gee’s book is more than just a monologue on our future. It could well be the ultimate wake up call to action for all of us." —John Long, The Conversation

"This provocative and wonderfully well-written book will educate as well as stimulate many thoughtful discussions amongst people from all walks of life." —Forbes

From the Publisher

2024-12-28
A wide-ranging look at the human past and the possibility of our species’ extinction.

Gee, an author and a senior editor atNature magazine, begins his book with a survey of human evolution, emphasizing the fact that humanity is the sole survivor of a number of hominid species. Our cousins include the Neanderthals, the Denisovans, and several other species, some of whom our ancestors interbred with before driving them to extinction. Moreover, we have gone through several population bottlenecks, resulting in a lack of genetic diversity—Gee says that a single tribe of chimpanzees has more genetic diversity than the entire human race. This affects, for example, our susceptibility to inherited and epidemic diseases. Another factor in our vulnerability is our dependence on agriculture, which has allowed our population to grow dramatically but also makes us highly dependent on an extremely narrow range of food sources. The Irish potato famine is just one example of what can go wrong. The “Green Revolution” that began in the 1960s increased the productivity of food crops, but at the same time it spurred an even greater surge in the number of people consuming those crops. Recently, however, there has been a drop in fertility—partly a result of more women becoming educated and deciding to opt out of motherhood. Is this a harbinger of a drastic worldwide drop in population? Is extinction—ultimately the fate of all species—closer than we suspect? The author suggests that one way, possibly the only way, to avoid short-term extinction is for humanity to expand beyond the single planet it has so far called home. Gee takes a surprisingly lighthearted approach, with frequent quips and allusions to pop culture. Given the seriousness of the subject, this makes for a more enjoyable read than one might expect.

A serious but nonetheless entertaining look at the human race’s long-term prospects.

Kirkus Reviews