Holly Menino is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in National Geographic and Smithsonian. She is the author of Forward Motion: Horses, Humans, and the Competitive Enterprise, which was selected as a Borders "Original Voice."

A rare fox in the South American cordillera. A disappearing fox on an island off California. A common coyote in the Albany suburbs. How do these wild carnivores live? And what is it about the places they live that allows them to survive?

Holly Menino joins up with three young scientists to find out, and along the way is drawn into a broader consideration of the science that defines these animals' natural histories.

"Darwin's Fox and My Coyote" is a sympathetic but unsentimental examination of animals in their habitats. Field biology spearheaded the animal conservation movement by creating a new awareness of wild animals and bringing to public consciousness their needs and vulnerabilities. The conservation movement has fostered a general sense that land is shifting out from under wild animals at a pace that threatens their very survival. But if that threat is known, it is little understood. Few realize that animals are becoming extinct at rates that far exceed the ability of scientists to help stabilize their populations.

The book is beautifully written, as one would expect, given its author. I admire its unsentimental tone, its insightful descriptions of the scientific process, and, especially, its arresting moments with the animals themselves. - Jennifer Ackerman, author of Notes from the Shore and Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body"