Book excerpt: Art Wolfe’s definitive opus, Earth Is My Witness represents forty years of expeditionary photography. For the first time, Wolfe presents the three subjects at the heart of his work—landscapes, wildlife, and cultures on the edge of extinction—in a single masterpiece that takes us through the world’s ecosystems and geographical regions in a vivid display of the fragility and interconnectivity of life on Earth, while simultaneously exploring his evolution as an artist and the techniques he uses to capture the nuances and rhythms of nature. Earth Is My Witness is the most extensive collection of Art Wolfe photography ever compiled. This lavishly produced work spans the globe, bringing the beauty of the planet’s fast-disappearing landscapes, wildlife, and cultures into stunning focus. Containing unpublished work from throughout Wolfe’s widely celebrated career, Earth Is My Witness offers a riveting and comprehensive look at the world’s ecosystems and geographical regions. Here Wolfe presents an encyclopedic selection of his photography along with intimate stories that exemplify his boundless curiosity. From the rich sights and smells of the Pushkar Camel Fair to the exact moment when a polar bear and her cubs leave their Arctic den, these images represent what Wolfe has lived for: moments when circumstance, light, and subject miraculously collide to form an iconic image. These photographs and the stories behind them explore the delicate interconnectivity of life across our planet. Setting the stage for this fascinating journey is award-winning author Wade Davis. Together, photographer and author present a world that borders on the fantastic but is all the more precious for its fragility. At the heart of Wolfe’s work is the appeal for environmental, cultural, and wildlife preservation, which he makes with beautiful, far-reaching precision in this definitive opus.