In The World Without Us, science writer Alan Weisman poses the question - What if, by plague or divine rapture, the entire human race disappeared from the planet? What would happen to the Earth? There are perhaps some who would prefer not to consider such a possibility, while others of us find the notion somehow irresistible. I fall into the latter category.

The World Without Us was published last summer and escaped my attention until recently. I'm glad it found me. Weisman is uniquely compelling in his reportage. Years ago, I devoured Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World (1999), his coverage of a sustainable community that was settled in Colombia in the 1970s, long before sustainability was cool.

Anyone interested in a decidedly scientific and narratively engaging approach to understanding humankind's environmental footprint should read this book.