Cataclysms
An Environmental History of Humanity
- Contents
- Review Quotes

Part I: Monkey Conquers the World
1 We Are the Children of the Climate
2 The End of the Elephants
3 The Wheat Deal
4 Collapse
Part II: Monkey Dominates Nature
5 When Gods Guide the Way
6 All Empires Will Fall
7 After Summer Comes Winter
8 Biological Hazards
9 Demographic Hazards
Part III: Monkey Transforms the Earth
10 The Promises of Quicksilver
11 Cold, Cold Earth
12 Dying for the Forest
13 Unlimited Energy
14 The Cold Chill of Catastrophe
15 A Time of Excess
16 The Blind Flock
17 Tomorrow’s World
Conclusion
Epilogue to the English Edition: Two and a Half Years after the French Edition . . .
Appendix B: Chronology
Notes
Bibliography
Index
'Whether it be the internet or the coronavirus, we all know the world is connected. But how did we get here? In this brilliant, highly readable book, Testot answers that question. He follows humanity’s trek out of Africa and the footprint this ‘naked ape’ left behind as humans conquered the world’s continents. It is a study of environmental tragedy, but Testot also tells a story of hope. He provides a history of our shared past from the earliest times to the present and, in so doing, suggests how this can help us to make the future better."
“Welcome to the world that the alpha predator—we, of course—have made. Roving the globe to chronicle the catastrophes that humans have visited on the planet, Testot brings to the abstract idea of environmental collapse wisdom, warmth, and warning. This is the book we all need to read.”
Biological Sciences: Natural History
Earth Sciences: Environment
History: Environmental History | General History
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