Simon A. Levin.
Fragile Dominion: complexity and the commons.
Perseus. 1999
Biological diversity is not just a source of aesthetic pleasure for
Homo sapiens—it is the reason for our being.
The earth’s abundant plant and animal life provides us with food,
fiber, and a wellspring of pharmaceuticals.
It also performs a variety of services—from stabilizing coastlines
to trapping toxic pollutants—that are essential to our survival.
But our planet is losing its biodiversity at an alarming rate,
with frightening implications for our future. Can anything be done?
A deeply original work on one of the most pressing issues of our time,
Fragile Dominion is a powerful appeal to understand and protect
the global “commons.”