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Tobin, Mitch. Endangered: Biodiversity on the Brink. 2010. Fulcrum. Hardbound: 467 pages. Price: $27.95 U.S.

SUMMARY: Since 1973, the Endangered Species Act has served as our nation's legislative ark for imperiled wildlife. But our toughest and most controversial environmental law has only recovered a handful of the more than 1,300 species under its protection. In Endangered, award-winning journalist Mitch Tobin uses firsthand accounts to show why so many species are at risk of extinction.
     For nearly seven years, Tobin reported from the front lines of Endangered Species Act battles. He crisscrossed the Southwest-our hottest, driest, fastest-growing region-in search of wildlife driven to the brink of extinction and solutions to the crisis. Tobin discovered that this region, with its urban sprawl, wasteful water use, and vulnerability to climate change, provides a snapshot of the issues facing species throughout the world. Yet in one of the continent's hot spots for biodiversity, Tobin also found compelling examples of collaboration. With these examples in mind, he advocates a set of innovative policies that can preserve the species and wild places that sustain us all.
RECOMMENDATION: For those with an interest in endangered species, especially in the southwestern USA.