" .
In that same chapter, Ishmael explains that our situation, as takers, isn't so much different from that of other animals. Our means of competing is simply far more efficient than that of other animals, and basically involves eliminating competition from the rest of nature. .
Quinn is very careful to make the point that nature has no specific design, and evolution takes no particular direction, however it seems that the premise of this book is that human society is somehow living outside this design. The first part of this premise, I tend to agree with. The evolution of life on earth has been a chaotic process, which is far from complete. By examining the geologic history of our planet, we know that over 95% of the species that have ever lived are now extinct, and the vast majority of those died off long before humans ever appeared on the scene. If evolution had taken a slightly different course, or certain species had been any more or less successful than they were, or certain "ecological disasters" had not occurred, humans may not have evolved at all.
I agree with Quinn's assertion that humans, or "takers," at least are simply highly efficient competitors for the earth's natural resources. It seems that all we've done during the past ten thousand years or so is terra-form the planet to more closely resemble the niche to which our species is adapted. The advent of agriculture began basically as a response to human populations moving into regions where their food sources were scarce. Agriculture has allowed humans to flourish and increase their numbers exponentially since that time. Eventually, agriculture, division of labor, and human civilization spread all over the globe, allowing humans to thrive in otherwise inhospitable conditions. .
Quinn notes that all species which have ever lived make some sort of impact on the environment by making it slightly more hospitable to them.
