"The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman

What if humans suddenly vanished overnight? In their absence, what would happen to Earth and its environment? Which animals would benefit and which would not? What would happen with no one available to monitor the cooling systems of hundreds of the world's nuclear power plants? How long would it take for New York City's subway system to flood?

Bill McKibben describes the book as "one of the grandest thought experiments of our time, a tremendous feat of imaginative reporting". I agree.

See http://www.worldwithoutus.com/about_author.html - a multimedia site about the book, with biographical information about the author.

I thought the interview between McKibben and Jon Stewart of the Daily Show was hysterical. Somehow, they made the topic bearable. Once the subways collapse the city becomes a river. Stewart deadpanned: What do you think the rents will be? It's waterfront, right? (or something to that affect).

I didn't see the interview, but I am most of the way through the book. Depressing and I had to stop. I'll take it back up again when I can take the subject matter again.