An ambitious attempt to review the broad range of physical and biological events of the late Permian and early Triassic. Erwin examines, evaluates, and synthesizes a tremendous volume of research, much of it new... [A]n invaluable reference for anyone interested in the phenomenon of mass extinction and will undoubtedly fuel many graduate seminars in the coming year. Science

• The world of the Permian; the great divide; the farewell symphony; pelycosaurs, pteridosperms and palaeoptera; pangea; icehouses, greenhouses and saltboxes; geochemical changes in the Permian; cycles of change; the mother of mass extinctions; aftermath and implications.