Raina's Reviews > Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia

The Scientists in the Field series profiles scientists working in areas from astronomy to wildlife forensics. This volume in the series features Tom McCarthy, “the blue-eyed, bearded conservation director of the Seattle-based Snow Leopard Trust.” The writer and photographer for the book take readers on a trip with McCarthy to the Altai Mountains in Mongolia, where he studies the native snow leopards. The book is full of full-color photographs and illustrations, with sidebars on various aspects of Mongolia and scientific research. McCarthy’s entourage members are each described. In addition to the cultural, scientific, and narrative information, attention is paid to the way that McCarthy came to the field, describing his journey through education and previous jobs. This real-world perspective is beneficial for kids who may be interested in the field as their career. Although occasionally the text overwhelms the photography, overall, this is a well-rounded book about a little-known topic and region of the world.