This book ... looks at the prospect for all species on earth, 5-10 million of them. It proposes that ... [the world] stand[s] to lose at least 1 million by the end of the century, and several more million within ... a few decades ... a single species [man] now dominates all others ... this unique situation implies a ... responsibility for man to consider what he is doing to his fellow creatures, and to himself ... under man's impact, natural environments ... are undergoing ... rapid disruption ... this book ... asks why species are allowed disappear ... [it] suggests that ... [people] need to look at several further aspects of the problem--economic, political, legal, social and cultural factors ... [the author states that] just as we are all involved in the extinction of species, and just as ... [people] all benefit from their preservation, so ... [they] should all contribute to the cost of a comprehensive strategy to save species.-Preface.