As more and more animals find themselves under threat of extension, the importance of caring for these endangered species has never been higher. How could capturing the last wild California condors help save them? Why are some states planning to cull populations of the gray wolf, despite this species only recently making it off the endangered list? How did a decision made during the Civil War to use alligator skin for cheap boots nearly drive the animal to extinction? Back from the Brink answers these questions and more as Castaldo delves into the threats of seven different species, outlining the scientific and political efforts to coax them back from the brink of extinction. Ultimately this rich, informational look at the problem of extinction has a hopeful tone: all of these animals' numbers are now on the rise.