Extinction by David M. Raup

Extinction: Bad Genes of Bad Luck by David M. Raup is a fascinating read. Raup is a statstical paleontologist at the University of Chicago. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. In this book he presents extinction as an inevitable process that has occured in mass proportions five times in the past. Science has never agreed on the precise physical causes of extinction. Raup analyzes multiple theories including climatic change, meteorite impact and volcano ash as potential causes. What's very interesting is the statistical slant that places extinction in perspective and makes us aware that most life that's ever existed on the planet is long gone. Greater than 99% of the species to inhabit our planet are gone - fascinating. He presents arguments for and against Walter Alvarez' impact theory of extinction (at least with respect to the most recent mass event at the end of the Cretaceous). This is a fascinating read if you are interested in paleontology, astronomy, geology etc.