More-than-human economics for the age of humans

In this review, I examine The Gambling Animal by Harrison and Ross (Citation2025), which argues that humanity achieved ecological dominance through a “risk-management ratchet”: irreversively ratcheting up collective risk-taking via biological and cultural niche construction, from agriculture to capitalism. I engage critically with the book's ambivalence about human agency, its implicit prediction of civilizational collapse, and its cautious technological optimism. Drawing on Bateson's ecological critique of game theory, I highlight that their naturalistic, non-anthropocentric perspective points toward an under-explored conclusion that extending moral consideration to non-human nature, and developing new multi-species imaginaries, may be viable responses to the current ecological emergency. I conclude by calling for collaborative contributions to ecological risk management from across disciplines.