In every one of his images, National Geographic photographer Michael "Nick" Nichols touches the very spirit of wildness. A Wild Life tells the stories behind the stories in the life and work of this intrepid photographer; it also delivers a call to action, grounded in one of the most urgent ethical issues of this era: humans' accountability to the earth and our cohabitants here.

I love Nick because of his bravery and love of animals. I love the way he's able to integrate himself into the lives of animals in their habitats. He becomes part of them, which is extraordinary; no one else does that. He's not showing us anything sentimental about animals. He's a realist. So we're seeing the intimate side of the lives of animals. I'm amazed he can do that. He's patient. Nick's work is wonderful. I love the fact that he's able to show us that intimacy.¿Mary Ellen Mark, author of Tiny: Streetwise Revisited and Man and Beast