This world tour by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist and author E.O. Wilson is wonderfully readable: an insightful, candid and elegant story of the evolution of life on our planet. With a focus on ecosystems, the book chronicles the rich diversity of species and how they came about. It catalogs the history of mass extinctions -- and presents a forceful argument that, unless we take care, our species may precipitate the greatest single episode of extinctions. Beautifully illustrated, this lyrical book is a celebration of life. Ed Wilson is a member of WWF's Board of Directors.  (CON02, $17.95)