This worldview and ethic is slowly developed in a series of reflections at the end of each chapter. Here is the heart of it, and if this seems brief, it is because there is not much more to it. The emergence of life is very improbable, and this is why we should hold that life is sacred. The deep genetic homology between all living things is the ground for the fellowship and community of all life. She sees here a consonance with the central claim of all religions that all humankind forms a community.
Biological diversity evokes a sense of amazement and humility.
Again, she finds a consonance here with the practice in most religions of bowing before the Divine. I mentioned at the outset that this book reminded me of the writings of Leopold, Eiseley, and Janovy. But now I must admit a prejudice. I have never found Leopold et al., although delightful reading, very helpful for the construction of a philosophy of life and an ethics. I do not think it is possible to construct a system of meaning and value from scientific theory and natural history alone.