Book excerpt: Beauty, grace and power make the tiger one of the world's most loved animals, yet it is precisely these qualities that have been its downfall. Poaching for skins and body parts, loss of habitat and prey and conflicts between people and wild tigers have caused catastrophic declines in tiger numbers throughout their range. If wild tigers are to survive through the next century, we must act now. Riding the Tiger is a comprehensive, scientific and eminently readable account of the problems and possible solutions of securing a future for wild tigers. Lavishly illustrated in full colour, it is written by leading conservationists working throughout Asia. It is a vital information resource for tiger conservationists in the field, necessary reading for serious students of carnivore conservation and conservation biologists in general, and an accessible overview of tiger conservation for general readers.