Countdown

Every four days there are a million more people on the planet. More people and fewer resources. In this timely work, Alan Weisman examines how we can shrink our collective human footprint so that we don't stomp any more species - including our own - out of existence. The answer: reducing gradually and non-violently the number of humans on the planet whose activities, industries and lifestyles are damaging the Earth. Defining an optimum human population for the Earth is an explosive concept. Weisman, one of the most brilliant environmental writers, will travel the globe, from the settlements of Israel and the plains of Mexico to the bustling streets of Pakistan and the teeming cities of the UK. In his search for answers, he will speak to religious leaders, demographers, ecologists, economists, engineers and agriculturalists in what promises to be an international classic.

Winner of Paris Book Festival: General Non-Fiction 2013 (UK)

“Weisman offers heart-rending portrayals of nations already suffering demographic collapse . . . A realistic, vividly detailed exploration of the greatest problem facing our species.”

Kirkus (starred review)
Provocative and sobering, this vividly reported book raises profound concerns about our future. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Unflinching and ready for anything, Weisman's Countdown tackles the biggest question facing not only us, but every other living thing on earth. How many people can there be on the earth? Written with extraordinary clarity, without all the arm-waving and doomsaying that seems to kill the conversation, his first-hand tour of the globe offers both worst case scenarios and the most hopeful futures we can imagine. Craig Childs, author of Apocalyptic Planet
Countdown converts globetrotting research into flowing journalism, highlighting a simple truth: there are, quite plainly, too many of us. A world that understands Weisman's words will understand the pressing need for change. Bill Streever, author of Cold and Heat
[Weisman] asks a really tough question: what will happen on the warming earth if our population continues to grow? . . . Weisman boldly traveled to more than 20 diverse countries, from India to Italy to Japan, instigating remarkably candid conversations with religious leaders, scientists, and public-health experts. Spirited descriptions, a firm grasp of complex material and a bomb defuser's steady precision make for a riveting read . . . Rigorous and provoking, Countdown will spur many a debate. Booklist, starred review

Alan Weisman is an award-winning journalist whose reports have appeared in Harper's, the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly and NPR among others. He is the author of the international bestseller The World Without Us.

Every four days there are a million more people on the planet. More people and fewer resources. In this timely work, Alan Weisman examines how we can shrink our collective human footprint so that we don't stomp any more species - including our own - out of existence. The answer: reducing gradually and non-violently the number of humans on the planet whose activities, industries and lifestyles are damaging the Earth. Defining an optimum human population for the Earth is an explosive concept. Weisman, one of the most brilliant environmental writers, will travel the globe, from the settlements of Israel and the plains of Mexico to the bustling streets of Pakistan and the teeming cities of the UK. In his search for answers, he will speak to religious leaders, demographers, ecologists, economists, engineers and agriculturalists in what promises to be an international classic.

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