Planet zoo : one hundred animals we can't afford to lose

We all know that the tiger and the panda are in danger - but what about the numbat, the Malaysian tapir or the Kerry slug?

They too may vanish, and they too have their part to play on Planet Zoo.

In this passionate, personal book Simon Barnes presents us with 100 animals currently threatened by extinction and in need of human help to survive.

By no means a catalogue of disaster, it tells us what can be done to save them, shows the knock-on effect of each animal's likely disappearance on its habitat and on the food chain, and emphasizes that for all those species that seem to be vanishing, new ones are constantly being discovered.

Simon Barnes writes with infectious excitement about the wonders of wildlife, and brilliantly makes the connection between these diverse species.

It is an inspiring, thought-provoking and entertaining book for anyone interested in natural history, and Alan Marks's spontaneous watercolours make it beautiful to look at too.