There are seven billion people living and struggling on Earth, and more are constantly being born. How many more can the planet sustain? It seems that a critical threshold could be ten billion Earthlings. At the same time, plant and animal species are continuously declining - but which of them are essential for the survival of the human species, and could we ensure their survival? Is there any way to naturally halt the growth of the human population? And if so, will we find an economic model that guarantees us prosperity without the need for perpetual growth? The author of the provocative The World Without Us attempts to find in the answers to these questions "the last hope for preserving the future of human civilization on Earth" in his latest book. Alan Weisman (1947) is an award-winning journalist and writer. He contributes to several prominent magazines, such as Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Atlantic Monthly, etc., is the author of several books (including The World Without Us, Czech edition Argo, 2008), and has received numerous awards for his literary and journalistic work.
