This is a fantastic book that focuses on a topic that is often a footnote in popular science and life science writing. Focusing on key extinction events, Benton provides an grounded explanation of how life is fundamentally shaped by these events during and after.

Michael J. Benton’s Extinctions is a brilliant look at the five mass extinctions and how life managed to recover after each one. I really liked how detailed it was without being overwhelming – he explains the science clearly and ties it to today’s climate and biodiversity crises. It’s a fascinating mix of deep history and urgent relevance.