The EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) of Existence program is a global conservation initiative aimed at saving rare species from extinction. This eye-opening book shows some of the important results of the group's work. Readers accompany real scientists on exciting scientific expeditions from the heights of the Cyclops Mountains in faraway West Papua, to the depths of the Yangtze River in China, to the forests of Haiti in the Caribbean, and the vast stretches of the Gobi Desert. Jonathan and Marilyn Baillie s lively narratives and stunning photographs introduce such special creatures as the bumblebee bat, so small it can fit on a fingertip; the Bactrian camel, capable of surviving the harshest desert conditions; and the slender loris, a nocturnal beast hunted for its mythical magic powers. There is also a sense of urgency here: these and the eight other animals profiled are evolutionarily unique, which means that if they don t survive there will be nothing similar left on Earth and our global biodiversity will be weakened forever."