JOEL SARTORE is a photographer, author, and 30-year contributor to National Geographic magazine, named 2018 National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Through his National Geographic Photo Ark project, he plans to photograph every species of animal under human care, an estimated 12,000. (As of Nov 2018, he has photographed nearly 9,000.) A three-part PBS/Nova special, Rare, featured his project in 2017. His Fundamentals of Photography is the best-selling offering of all The Great Courses, and he is a frequent guest on CBS Sunday Morning. ELIZABETH KOLBERT (foreword) is a staff writer for The New Yorker. Her most recent book, The Sixth Extinction, received the Pulitzer Price for general nonfiction in 2015. She is also the author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe- Man, Nature, and Climate Change. A two-time National Magazine Award winner, Kolbert is a visiting fellow at the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College.
“I can never unsee these faces, and I believe I am a better person because of it. Thank you, Joel Sartore, for using your passion and talent to give these animals a voice.” –Amy’s Booket List “There are nearly 300 portraits in this book. They are gorgeous. They will break your heart. But this book is SO IMPORTANT.” –Bookapotamus “Any lover of nature or ardent conservationist would adore this book, its photos, and its message.” –JulzReads “This book is both beautiful and heart rending. All of the animals in it are either already extinct in the wild or heading towards extinction. Just think about that. The man taking all of these magnificent pictures wants to at least make a record of each one’s existence before it falls from the earth.” –Broken Teepee “It’s a very sad thing, to read through this book, and see all the critters on the Endangered list, and on the Extinction lists.” –The Pages In-Between “I'm going to tell you that the photos in this book are absolutely stunning and you will find yourself compulsively turning the pages.” –Stranded in Chaos “Joel Sartore has captured the soul of each animal on a simple black or white background, forcing the reader to look into the eyes of many of the animals that our actions are helping to decimate.” –Stephanie’s Book Reviews