New Guinea is home to more than one thousand aboriginal tribes - each with its own unique language, customs, and folklore that have changed very little in forty thousand years. In eight trips over the last ten years, photographer Chris Rainier has traveled to the island - to both Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya - to document the lives and rituals of these fascinating peoples in what is the most complete visual study ever made. The result is Where Masks Still Dance - a stunning photographic expedition that captures the distinctive cultures of these indigenous peoples in page after page of hauntingly beautiful black-and-white images. In short essays throughout the book, Rainier recounts the adventures behind the photographs - from trekking through leech-infested jungles to witnessing a ritualistic tribal war "rehearsal" - and notes the often disastrous influence of modern technology and values on the way of life of these simple, natural peoples.

Where Masks Still Dance: New Guinea

Arts & Photography

Rainier, Chris

Individual Artists

Bulfinch

It’s an alarming if little-known fact: one of the world’s mightiest rivers, the Colorado, no longer reaches the sea. Every drop of its water is allocated to agriculture and communities along the way and none remains for the Colorado Delta at river’s end, a once-thriving estuary that supported North America’s most diverse biosphere. Grand Canyon: A River at Risk draws attention the river’s plight as well as to the larger issue of the looming global water crisis. It follows Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading advocate for water conservation and river restoration, eminent ethnobotanist Wade Davis, and their two daughters on a rafting adventure down the Colorado. Their compelling journey illuminates both the challenges and the many opportunities that exist for conserving and restoring the world’s watersheds. Combining science and adventure with glorious imagery and locations, the book delivers a message of hope and inspiration for all people of the world.

Grand Canyon: A River at Risk

Science & Math

davis,wade

Earth Sciences

Earth Aware Editions

Sacred presents photographs of locations cloaked in mysticism and imbued with a spiritual energy, exploring the meaning of the sacred in a global, multicultural context.\nCountless cultures have found it in the magnificence of nature and what can be called the divine gestures of the nature landscape. We looked to the majesty of snowcapped mountains, the glow of the full moon, the power of a magical waterfall, the endless sands of the Sahara Desert, the towering height of the tallest trees and the subtle essence of a lotus flower. We created remarkable buildings to the essence of what we felt to be sacred. What is sacred and what do cultures around the world consider sacred? What is sacred to a Muslim, a Tibetan monk, a Native American, a Christian elder, an atheist, a mountaineer, a poet or an artist?\nChris Rainier has spent the last forty years in search of the sacred––from the peaks of Tibet to the icebergs of Antarctica, from the vibrant mysticism of India to the mysteries of the Silk Road, from the jungles of New Guinea to the druid stones of Scotland, and from the deserts of the Southwest United States to the rock art of aboriginal Australia and Africa. Rainier’s photographs masterfully capture the wonder and awe inherent to all these sites. Sacred presents photographs from this lifelong journey. The collection offers spiritually driven glimpses of ancient monuments and haunting landscapes from around the world––each echoing with the energy of timeless and sacred power places.\nRENOWN PHOTOGRAPHER AND AUTHOR: Chris Rainier is a documentary photographer and National Geographic explorer who is highly respected for his documentation of endangered cultures and traditional languages around the globe.\nAWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHY: Rainier was Ansel Adams last photo assistant and has contributed numerous photographs for the United Nations, UNESCO, Amnesty International, Conservation International, the Smithsonian Institution, CNN, BBC, NPR, National Geographic, TIME magazine, the New York Times, and LIFE magazine.\nCELEBRATED CONTRIBUTORS: Over twelve internationally recognized contributors discuss what sacred means to them and include British essayist and novelist Pico Iyer; ethnographer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker Wade Davis; and Pulitzer Prize winner and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek.

Sacred: In Search of Meaning

Religion & Spirituality

Mandala Publishing

At this very moment, explorers in some of the most remote and dangerous places on earth, from the deepest parts of the ocean, to the highest mountains, and to outer space are enduring unimaginable hardships to expand our knowledge and save what is truly important.\nJoin former National Geographic Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer Terry Garcia and nature and cultural photographer Chris Rainier, a National Geographic Explorer, on a journey with some of the world’s most renowned and respected explorers, scientists, astronauts, visionaries, thinkers, and authors as they discuss and share their insights about what motivates them, what is left to explore, and why we should care in The Future of Exploration.\nExploration is as old as humankind, but there are still surprises that await us. With technology opening doors that once seemed permanently closed, the twenty-first century will be the greatest age of exploration in our history.\nAccompanied with awe-inspiring photography, each contributor shares their personal achievements and insight into what the future of exploration looks like from their respective fields, the challenges we face, and possible solutions. Whether delving into the terrestrial, oceanic, or cosmic frontiers, embark on a journey into the uncharted future and be inspired yourself to be a part of the future of exploration.\n35+ EXPLORERS: First-hand accounts of adventure and discovery from world-renowned public figures, including Jane Goodall, Sylvia Earle, Bob Ballard, Richard Branson, Louise Leakey, Zahi Hawass, Yvon Chouinard, Paula Kahumbu, Kris Tompkins, Kakenya Ntaiya, Wade Davis, Nemonte Nenquimo, Carolyn Porco, Krithi Karanth, Nainoa Thompson, Wasfia Nazreen, Samuel Ramsey, Sven Lindblad, Lee Berger, and more\nSTUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY: Enjoy breathtaking photographs captured around the globe, including deep sea, wildlife, and outer space\nEMBRACE THE UNKNOWN: Delve into the excitement of the unknown and learn about the new technology leading the way for exploration\nCURATED BY PROMINENT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORERS: Acclaimed National Geographic Explorers Terry Garcia and Chris Rainier share insights from their 40+ year careers exploring the world and interacting with the world's forerunners of exploration on earth, in space, and at sea.\nGIFT FOR THE ADVENTURER IN YOUR LIFE: The Future of Exploration is the perfect gift for adventurers and travelers\nPROCEEDS TO RESEARCH, EXPLORATION & CONSERVATION: Profits from The Future of Exploration will be donated to early career field scientists, explorers, and conservationists pursuing innovative projects across a wide range of disciplines

The Future of Exploration: Discovering the Uncharted Frontiers of Science, Technology, and Human Potential

Garcia, Terry

Photography & Video

Seven years, seven continents, and thirty countries, from the African savannah to the barrios of Los Angeles, from New Zealand to Egypt, and Brazil to Burkina Faso, Chris Rainier documented the traditions of tattooing, scarification, piercing, and other forms of body altering art, the origins of which date back to the dawn of humankind. Ancient Marks reveals not only the haunting beauty of these often mystical forms, but also connects them to humanity's enduring efforts to tell stories, forge identity, and create links to the divine. "The human form became, through the brillance of inspired artistry, a sacred geography of the soul, a map of culture and myth expressed by forms painted, carved, or incised upon the canvas of the body" — Wade Davis. A former apprentice to Ansel Adams, award-winning Chris Rainier is considered one of the leading documentary photographers working today. Co-director of the National Geographic Society's Cultural Ethnosphere Program, he has traveled to all seven continents, including extensive expeditions throughout Africa, Antarctica, and New Guinea. Rainier's photography has been featured in Time, Life, Smithsonian, The New York Times, Outside, and is a contributing editor for National Geographic Traveler, a contributing photographer for National Geographic Adventure and a contributing correspondent for NPR's Day to Day.

Ancient Marks: The Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Markings