Following in the footsteps of Darwin and Cook, Jones reveals what coral has to tell us about the human genome project, cloning, and the possibility of a cure for cancer and genetic diseases, what insights it can offer us into the future of trade in oil and other forms of carbon, how it is linked to the fluctuations in weather patterns that have lead to destruction. Finally, Jones considers what coral tells us about the likely future of the planet and humankind: it is a warning that both may be close to the point of no return.