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This wonderful work describes and reflects the actions—and realizations to motivate the actions—that humans must accept and take to survive as a species and begin to heal the Earth. Mulley repeatedly states that people are unique in themselves, the same as every other human. That's the paradox. If humans expect to survive as a species, they must care about themselves and others. People must think and act cooperatively, collectively, and honestly while conserving the resources they need by recycling materials and investing in environmentally sound energy and lifestyles. The author states that humans live in three worlds: "The ethereal world, the 'human-made' world, and the 'me' world."
In order for the global situation of overpopulation, coupled with diminishing resources, to change, one must accept personal responsibility. For example, people need to stop seeking needless individual acquisition and, instead, consider how their individual abilities may be used to deal with the crises the species has created. Donald Trump is given as a primary example of the antithesis to the theme of the book.
The work's profound common sense, as well as its echos of others' political theories, such as those of Karl Marx and Kenneth Boulding, and its reiteration of warnings that humans have been given for at least the past half-century, become alive as one realizes that, with a population that exceeds 8,000,000,000, people must act swiftly and definitely to begin to save the planet and humanity. Mulley offers a roadmap for the journey that is enhanced by truly humanitarian and personal approaches to its crucial subject. In short, this is a great book that is well worth reading.