The cover to "Before They Vanish" shows heavy orange text on top of an image of a jaguar's face in closeup. In addition to the title and author's the cover notes the book includes a forward by Jaren Diamond

Before They VanishSaving Nature’s Populations — and Ourselves

Can we save threatened animals and ecosystems in the midst of a mass extinction? The answer is a resounding yes! Before They Vanish shows us how. In this wise and impassioned book, renowned conservation scientists Paul R. Ehrlich, Gerardo Ceballos, and Rodolfo Dirzo urge us to shift our thinking rather than succumb to grief over the losses that humanity faces. This comprehensive look at a crucial but often overlooked aspect of conservation—population extinction, or the loss of a species within a specific geographic location—guides us onto a new, hopeful path.

About Before They Vanish

In Before They Vanish the authors argue that conservationists have placed too much emphasis on the extinction of entire species, which occurs gradually enough that we only detect it in the direst of cases. By that time, meaningful action may be impossible. By shifting our focus to identifying extinction threats at the more localized population level, we can intervene more rapidly and effectively to prevent broader declines before it’s too late. This change in perspective represents a critical step in saving these vanishing species; early detection and intervention may be our last, best hope for stemming the tide of this global intervention may be our last, best hope for stemming the tide of this global crisis.

Using examples from the worlds of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, fungi, and microorganisms, the authors explain the concept of population extinction, its causes and consequences, and how to prevent the mass destruction of the amazing and unique creatures with whom we share our planet. This call to action is a must-read for anyone concerned with saving endangered and threatened species, our natural world—and ourselves.

REVIEWS

Gretchen C. Daily, Stanford University

This beautifully written and illustrated book shows how we are all a part of nature, and all we now stand to lose from declines in the numbers of even common organisms. The authors lay out a hopeful path to harmonizing people and nature—and a role for everyone.

Gretchen C. Daily, Stanford University

Sir Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge

This magnificent, painstaking work is an ode to life. Written by today’s foremost experts on biodiversity loss, this is scientific writing at its truest.

Sir Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge

Peter H. Raven, Washington University in St. Louis

Reading this outstanding book, one will gain an appreciation of the way in which tens of millions of species have evolved together over 4.5 billion years on our planet, leading to the great extinction of today. Highly recommended!

Peter H. Raven, Washington University in St. Louis

Nature

Ehrlich and his colleagues present powerful evidence of global wildlife decline and more extinctions to come….Grief for what has been lost permeates the book. And the authors, whose careers have spanned a period of dramatic wildlife decline, use personal anecdotes and rich imagery to powerful effect.

Nature

Sustainable Population Australia

A call to action….Civilisation depends on natural systems for the services they provide. Allowing them to disappear not only threatens civilisation itself but, as the authors insist, it is ‘just plain morally wrong.’

Sustainable Population Australia

Independent Australia

One of the most powerful and important books on the global environmental crises humanity faces.

Independent Australia

Cristina Mittermeier, photographer / conservationist / cofounder of SeaLegacy

Before They Vanish is more than just a book; it is a call to arms. It urges us to confront our own complicity in the destruction of biodiversity and to take meaningful action to safeguard the wonders of our planet for generations to come. With its eloquent prose and unwavering optimism, this book stands as a testament to the power of knowledge, compassion, and collective action in the face of adversity.

Cristina Mittermeier, photographer / conservationist / cofounder of SeaLegacy

Patricia Balvanera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

This book connects us deeply with the amazing diversity of forms of life with which we share this planet. Addressing the loss of populations of species requires an urgent shift toward engaging in meaningful, caring, and reciprocal ways with populations of common as well as rare species. This book represents a compelling invitation to do so.

Patricia Balvanera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Paul R. Ehrlich is the emeritus Bing Professor of Population Studies in the Department of Biology and the president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. He is the author of The Population Bomb and Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect.

Gerardo Ceballos, one of the world’s leading ecologists, is a professor at the Institute of Ecology at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He has established more than twenty protected areas in Mexico and is the author or co-author of more than 55 books. Ehrlich and Ceballos are coauthors of The Annihilation of Nature: Human Extinction of Birds and Mammals.

Rodolfo Dirzo, one of the world’s leading conservation scientists, is the Bing Professor of Environmental Science in the Departments of Biology and Earth Systems Science at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment.