Prologue (Kwasi Obeng-Dankwa)

In the prologue, Kolbert introduces us to what the theme and central idea of the book will be. It starts off by talking about the evolution of humans and our gradual spread throughout the world. It then goes on to talk about the huge effects that the spreading of humans was on the planet. For example, it states "Vast forests are razed... humans begin to change the composition of the atmosphere... Extinction rate soar, and the texture of life changes(2)." This clearly sheds light on the negative effects of humans on the planet. It also brings out the viewpoint of the book in which it will focus more on the negative effects of humans and how we have altered the planet. It proceeds to talk about the structure and layout of the book and also gives us insight into the focuses of certain chapters. For instance, he states that the early chapters will be concerned with great extinctions such as the extinction of dinosaurs and another focusing on a die-off in his own backyard. Overall, this book creates a sense that it will shed light on the vast effects that the spreading of humans and human behavior has had on other animals and the factors that have caused mass extinctions.