This is a moving read. Emmott is completely honest about the state of the world and his honesty is chilling and worrying. I've always cared about what we're doing to the world and I echo Emmott's thought: "Why are we not doing more about the situation we're in - given the scale of the problem and the urgency needed- I simply cannot understand." There is no excuse for blindly destroying the world, and this easy read is perfectly clear on how we are.

A unrelenting and honest look at how overpopulation is crippling the planet and how, realistically, there is not a lot we can do to change the path we are heading down. Pretty terrifying but neccesary.

The scariest thing you will read this year, this decade, this century! The cold hard truth that we’re all ignoring, we’re growing. Our destructive species will reach 10 billion soon, how will the planet cope? Answer: it won’t. This book gives Stephen King nightmares.

Well researched, easy (and quick) to read, perfectly argued and very difficult to argue with BUT there is something missing that left me unhappy at the end. I would like to know what Emmott would put in the place of everything he's described. It's too easy just to say 'we're all doomed' (he doesn't say this in those words but harsher ones!) it's far more difficult to look at this serious problem and suggest an alternative. As a book that states the case of where we have arrived, as a human race, it is excellent, particularly because it doesn't pull any punches, but far more controversial would be a real, no holding hands/praying/peeing in the shower alternative. Perhaps Emmott could do this in Book Two? I would read that.

I think what we have here is a scientist at the end of his tether. It's fair to say he doesn't argue a case for and against, he's clearly worried and just wants to get the facts out in a straight forward, easy to follow way. Some may argue he may be innaccurate in places, but generally I trust what he's saying, we've taken advantage of our place on Earth and it's going to come back around and bite us in the arse. It's a short, informative read, much like a powerpoint presentation rather than a typical scientific book. But it's a novel idea and is more approachable than some heavy going titles covering similar subject matter. If anything, it's sparked my interest in the subject, which I believe was Emmott's intention. Having read his very brief book, I now want to read more comprehensive studies on the matter.