COUNTDOWN: OUR LAST, BEST HOPE FOR A FUTURE ON EARTH?

The author of The World Without Us returns with a powerful investigation into the chances for humanity's future.

In his widely influential bestseller The World Without Us, Alan Weisman considered how the Earth could heal if relieved of humanity's constant pressures. Behind that groundbreaking thought experiment was Weisman's hope that we would be inspired to find a way to add humans back to this vision of a restored, healthy planet- in harmony, not mortal combat, with the rest of nature.

But with a million more of us every 4 Y2 days on a planet that's not getting any bigger, a sustainable human future seems ever more in doubt.

Weisman visits an extraordinary range of the world 's cultures, religions, nationalities, tribes, and political systems to learn what in t heir beliefs, histories, liturgies, or current circumstances might suggest it's in their own best interest to limit their growth. The result is a landmark work of reporting: devastating, urgent, and, ultimately, deeply hopeful.

COUNTDOWN reveals a way to return our planet and our presence on it to balance: a message so compelling that it will change how we see our lives and our destiny.