Reviewed by Marcello Perillo (University of Bonn)

Benton, M.J. 2023. Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts, and Evolves. Thames & Hudson, NYC. ($34.95 cloth.)

The subject of mass extinctions is one of the most written about and engaging topics for a science writer. Educated readers will lose interest if the information offered is too general, while non-insiders can find challenging the huge mole of novelties they have to swallow. Michael Benton manages to strike a perfect balance in discussing this spiky (six spikes to be exact) theme with a narrative tone that surfs between the waves of a documentary, a university lecture, and personal experiences told around a fieldwork fire.

The general structure of the book—not surprisingly divided into six parts—follows the five (sigh, six) great mass extinctions events, and uses them to summarize major upheavals recorded in our beloved fossil record. The author’s aim is to show the inherent dualism of the Phanerozoic: the occurrence of natural extinction events that shake up the status quo of the “incumbent advantage” and clear the way for new radiations of life. The book maintains a serious scientific focus and provides a well-detailed overview of the “Big Five” and of the ongoing Sixth Event.

If you’re thinking “isn’t it just another mass extinction book?,” stop your concern! Because your usual mass extinction menu of five entrees is enriched here by nourishing chapters on important, but often less discussed, events and phenomena like hyperthermals, oceanic anoxic events, and faunistic/floristic revolutions. These topics are brought to the attention multiple times through the text, creating nice opportunities to compare and discuss the similarities in the dynamics of the major oopsies in the history of life. Needless to say, when those similarities remind us of our current experience with climate change, it is hard not to feel a not-so-discrete sideways glance being directed at us.

Throughout the book, new discoveries and informative updates are presented that sprout from recent studies, alongside small historical summaries of the work done by major researchers in those areas. I found these particular details extremely enjoyable as it shows the never-ending process of hypothesis-testing that makes science progress. Given the huge amount that Benton has contributed to the scientific community, it is inevitable to find ourselves in the midst of biographical stories, which gives the whole text a more personal and warmer touch.

There's no shortage of illustrations throughout the book, so the visual feedback enhances the reading experience. Black-and-white images and graphics taken from research papers accompany the flow of the text and guide the reader through the discussion of the research. In addition, two main plates collect a total of 28 colored images. It is nice to recognize illustrations from renowned paleoartists such as Mark Witton, although this is not a paleoart-focused book, so do not expect a first-class gallery.

Partly biased by my research interests and partially because of the strong direct experience of the author, I found the sections on the End-Triassic and the Ocean Anoxic Events the most intriguing. As a young scholar, I could find access to new information on these themes otherwise more cryptic to non-specialists and enjoying learning about new details. I also had no clue about the Manicougan Crater before I opened these pages, and I am now annoyed no one told me about it before! This book will definitely make you feel an array of different emotions.

I also greatly appreciate the ordered report of literature for chapters, and the entire credits for any illustration in the book. I know you’d expect it in any proper science book, but it’s fair to mention it.

I highly recommend Extinctions to all readers! For the general public, it is easy and engaging (but if you gift it to your neighbor, expect them to come by your door for questions). For undergraduates, this book is a must read and it will be extremely helpful in integrating all the information from their courses. For post-graduate researchers, it will undoubtedly be a source of new interesting updates outside of their area of specialization, and also a quite relaxing read. I think it will also bring some challenge to one’s ideas and generate new discussions and, moreover, questions by shaking off a bit of the unshakable mass extinction absolutes that are taken for granted. Rating: 9 out of 10, a strong Lystrosaurus.