The adventurers here are 12 contemporary explorers--mostly scientists such as archaeologists, ethologists, and ecologists--whose work takes them to far-off lands. Similar to the author's previous Talking with Artists books (Bradbury, 1992; Simon & Schuster, 1995 ), each entry includes a childhood photo, color photographs of the subject at work, a brief autobiographical essay, and responses to a series of questions, such as: what is a normal working day like for you? and what was the scariest thing that ever happened in your work? Young readers often have romantic views of the lives of people like Robert Ballard and Jane Goodall (both of whom are featured here); these portraits offer a welcome dose of reality that describes the challenges of their work but will not discourage the aspirations of future explorers. (Ages 8-14)

Answering questions such as "What was the scariest thing that ever happened in your work?", "What was the job that got you started in your field?", and "What is left for you to explore next?", 12 world-renowned adventurers present an inspiring picture of their lives and fascinating work.