Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn: The Destruction of Wildlife for Traditional Chinese Medicine. R. Ellis. 2005. Shearwater Books of Island Press, Washington, DC. 294 pp. $17.99 cloth.

Richard Ellis, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History and celebrated author and artist, presents an intriguing and (quite unfortunately) timely and relevant look at a major cause of the loss of many species worldwide: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The volume is meant for lay readers with interests in natural history and conservation, and the prose is, thankfully, devoid of technical jargon. Yet the information is up-to-date and comprehensive enough to offer something new for those of us who have looked at various aspects of Asian wildlife markets professionally.