Against extinction : the story of conservation

The story of conservation from its origins in 1903, when the Society for the Preservation of Wild Fauna of the Empire was founded in London, to the present day, in which it has become a huge international enterprise.

Yet, it is not simply an account of what happened, but rather, "why" it happened.

The book explores the big questions and ideas that have driven conservation for a century.

How can the diversity of life be maintained as human demands upon the planet expand, seemingly without end?

How can we reconcile preservation with human rights and the development needs of the poor?

Is conservation something which needs to be imposed on people, or is it only something which emerges from people's free choice?