An explorer and environmentalist offers a natural history of the Earth as well as a biography of the human species.

"First published in 2010 in Australia by the Text Publishing Company, Melbourne"--T.p. verso.

pt. 1. Mother Nature or monster earth? -- Evolution's motive force -- Of genes, mnemes and destruction -- Evolution's legacy -- A fresh look at earth -- The commonwealth of virtue -- pt. 2. A turbulent youth -- Man the disrupter -- New worlds -- Biophilia -- pt. 3. Ever since agriculture -- Superorganisms -- Superorganismic glue -- Ascent of the ultimate superorganism -- pt. 4. Toxic climax? -- War against nature -- Gaia-killers -- The eleventh hour? -- Undoing the work of ages -- pt. 5. Our present state -- The stars of heaven -- Discounting the future -- Greed and the market -- Of war and inequality -- A new tool kit -- Governance -- Restoring the life-force -- pt. 6. An intelligent earth? -- What lies on the other side?.