Britta Jaschinski's ascent to the top ranks of British photography has been swift. Her first book, Zoo, was a huge success and won her huge critical and commercial acclaim. For her new book she has widened her scope to focus on animals in their natural habitat, and in so doing subtly illuminates the beauty and fragility of our planet. Gorgeous photographs are accompanied by the photographer's own haunting, elegiac poem, which runs the course of the book and which meditates on the origins and possible destiny of life on earth. This beautiful volume packs a huge emotional punch, without descending into sentimentality. Its possible readers extend far beyond its certain audience of photography aficionados and environmentalists; it is bound to appeal to anyone of any age who loves animals or who is lured by the call of the wild.