At a moment now being described as the age of Anthropocene, twelve of National Geographic‘s most influential photographers address the biggest questions on our time while sharing some of their greatest images.

Humanity has reached a pivotal moment in time. With extinction looming over one million species of plants and animals, the United Nations has declared that nature is in more trouble now than at any time in human history. In light of increasing natural disasters, polluted environments and rising sea levels, the present geological era has been described as the age of Anthropocene; the effect of humanity’s now indelible, and irreversible, intersection with nature.

In this important and timely book, these seminal questions of our time are addressed by twelve of the world’s most influential contemporary photographers: Joel Sartore, Paul Nicklen, Ami Vitale, Brent Stirton, Frans Lanting, Brian Skerry, Tim Laman, Cristina Mittermeier, J Henry Fair, Richard John Seymour, George Steinmetz and Steve Winter. With compassion, insight and in compelling detail they share their extraordinary images and the stories behind them, and seek to understand what really matters now for humanity and the planet.

At once shocking, illuminating and inspiring, Human Nature: Planet Earth in Our Time asks: ‘What do we have?’, ‘What do we stand to lose?’ and ‘What must we change?’, or is the Anthropocene Age to be humanity’s last?