Earth to Sky: Among Africa's Elephants, A Species in Crisis

Elephants are among the earth''s most sentient beings. They remember, they experience grief and joy, fear and love. Indeed, as our knowledge of these extraordinary creatures increases, the more they transcend all preconceptions of animal behavior. Michael "Nick" Nichols, longtime photographer for "National Geographic" as well as the magazine''s editor-at-large for photography, has been working with African elephants for more than 20 years. In "Earth to Sky, " he tells their story through poignant images that bring us directly into their habitats--lush forests and open savannas, or stark landscapes ravaged by human intervention--to observe the animals'' daily engagements and activities. Nichols'' photographs are accompanied by the words of such celebrated figures in the field of conservation as Iain Douglas-Hamilton, J. Michael Fay, Peter Matthiessen, Cynthia Moss, David Quammen and many