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Biodiversity and the extinction crisis, by Chris Howes
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Take a rich mixture of life, a gentle squeeze of evolution, add a pinch of history and flavour liberally with science. The Spice of Life an extraordinary study of life: how it began, what affects its species – and where it is heading. This fascinating and informative book, illustrated throughout with stunning colour photography and diagrams, shows where science is taking us and how we initiate new forms of life. Here are the influences of our world, the terrors of pollution and the need for conservation.
The sheer variety of life on earth is both astonishing and bewildering. Even as we approach the year 2000, we still have little idea of how many other species share our planet, of what they are or how they live. Around 1.5 million species of animal and plan have been recorded already, but current estimates suggest the earth may be supporting 20 to 50 times this number. We hardly know what we are destroying, from the forest floor to coastal wetlands.
We are in the opening stages of a massive, global extinction crisis, with around 100 species annihilated each day by our activities. By the start of the next millennium, between 15 and 20 per cent of the world's species will be lost, their genes gone forever. The speed of this mass extinction far outstrips that of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. While we cannot predict the effect this may have on sustaining our living planet, the concepts behind the latest buzzword – biodiversity – are crucial to this understanding.
The Spice of Life is a clear, authoritative and beautiful book that describes how quickly the world is undergoing change, and how urgent our need to initiate controls. It is, above all, a story of our wonder with nature, but it is also a story of our potential fate, unless we can recognise the risks in time.
It is truly time for Western cultures to pay the price for what they covet and value. And, if they covet and value biodiversity for whatever reason – ethical, moral or plain avarice – it is essential that Western cultures wake up to the devastating genetic losses occurring day by day in the rainforests and elsewhere. When the species and their genes are lost, with them go the solutions to our questions.
Postage costs within the UK are included in the purchase price.
For posting destinations outside the UK please read the notes under the ‘International Orders’ tab, or contact us direct.
Data sheet
Orders outside the UK
Although Wild Places used to offer ordering options for worldwide destinations, changes to taxation in the EU and USA (and potentially elsewhere) have curtailed these.
We regret that increasing costs and difficulties with posting goods to destinations outside the UK mean that we have removed the option to order from other countries from the product pages, other than for our own books. However, if you wish to purchase any item and no option shows for your delivery destination, please ask and we will quote for the additional postage.
Further explanatory notes are given below.
Following Brexit, in 2021 new customs documentation came into force and the EU removed exemptions for tax and customs duty on low value items posted from the UK to the EU. VAT at your EU country’s current rate plus a post office handling charge is now applied on delivery.
In 2025 the required documentation added an Entry Summary Declaration / Safety and Security Declaration, requiring a risk analysis and contact details of an EU-based agent – while the former is easy (do not drop book on foot, beware of paper cuts) the latter is simply too expensive to comply with. In short, we are no longer able to post goods to the EU.
Nevertheless, and bearing in mind the additional VAT and handling charges (which, to be clear, Wild Places is unable to cover; you will have to pay these on delivery), if you still wish to make a purchase please contact us for the latest information and options in this area of constant change.
In May 2025 President Trump cancelled tariff exemptions for small parcels entering the USA, meaning that an additional tax became required. Wild Places has been left with no option other than ceasing to post goods to the USA. However, if you still wish to make a purchase and accept any charge upon delivery, please contact us.
The restrictions on posting to the EU and USA do not apply to other international destinations. However, if any customs or tax is applicable in your country, you are responsible for this on delivery (Wild Places cannot advise on local charges or laws).
International postage charges from the UK have increased enormously in recent years and this is a continuing trend. Please ask and we will quote on an individual basis for non-EU/US destinations and where possible combine books to obtain the best rate possible. To arrive at this price we take off the (otherwise included) UK postage charge then add the international postage charge at cost.
Definitions
The timing of placing goods on sale and their definition has a bearing on which of these we are permitted to post to some destinations. To satisfy any enquiry, please note that all new products on this website were placed on the market before 13 December 2024. Our second-hand books are considered to be collectable items and exempt from the latest EU legislation relating to documentation.
Please see our FAQs relating to deliveries, and the Delivery page linked from the bottom of each item’s page, before placing your order if time is important.
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Biodiversity and the extinction crisis, by Chris Howes
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