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One hundred and fifty years after the publication of On the Origin of Species, award-winning environmental reporter Alanna Mitchell set out to retrace the idea of evolution and grapple with the fact that a massive extinction of the planet's species was well under way. So began a three-year odyssey in which Mitchell picked up where Darwin left off, examining not just the origin but also the ultimate fate of our world.

Combining scientific curiosity with travel and adventure, Dancing at the Dead Sea takes the reader on an intimate tour through the world's environmental hotspots. Readers join Mitchell as she tracks the spectacular biodiversity of regions as extraordinary as the island of Madagascar, the rain forests of Suriname, the parched oases of Jordan, the Arctic desert of Banks Island, the volcanic crests of Iceland, and, ultimately, the Galapagos archipelago, where Darwin conducted his famous research. Along the way, Mitchell introduces us to the numerous scientists and conservationists who are working to protect these endangered places. She also chronicles the courageous efforts of everyday men and women in these regions as they try to convince governments to turn the world's hotspots into environmentally protected areas.

Ultimately, Mitchell's travels around the world compel her to ponder our shelf life as a species in the grand evolutionary scheme of the planet. She wonders what Darwin would make of the profound ecological destruction she witnesses. Is the human race suicidal? What can help our species avert extinction? Posing tough and cutting questions such as these, Dancing at the Dead Sea is a must-read for aficionados of good science writing and travel literature alike.

In this provocative new book, Gresser shows how American liberals who look to put the brakes on globalization have unwittingly turned their backs on the poor in abandoning a tradition heralded by Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton. Freedom From Want claims that American liberals have forgotten where they came from and have little idea how to move forward. Gresser’s book restores the traditional, liberal vision of the global economy and prepares it for the future. Firstly, Gresser traces back the American tradition of liberal internationalism, and explains how and why it got off track. Secondly, Gresser reaches into the depths of trade policy for clear examples of how today’s liberals are perpetuating policies that hurt the poor by leaving American jobs unprotected. Thirdly, the book explores how the same policies bring about suffering and instability in the world’s poorest countries. Finally, Gresser looks to the future with liberal ideas to reform America’s trade system, eliminate its bias against the poor, and promote stability and prosperity abroad.