Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was killed earlier this month by a stingray while snorkeling off the Great Barrier Reef. This book, which he co-authored with his wife a while ago, is all about the passion and thought with which the duo undertook conservation work.This could be just the right time for a tributary read of his first book, an autobiography-cum-adventure tale-cum-environmental tract.

The first section recounts Steve’s childhood with his conservation — minded father and mother, who built the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, renamed the Australian Zoo. As the park expanded, Steve learned to leap from boats onto the backs of crocodiles of all sizes, capturing them for relocation. The star of Discovery Channel tells exciting tales of his early encounters with venomous snakes, small and big crocodiles.

The second section is by Terri, an impressive Oregonian nature lover who ran a wildlife rehabilitation facility when she met Steve on a trip to Australia.

While Steve punctuates his writing with phrases like “Holy snappin’ duck poo!”, Terri offers a calmer perspective on their commitment to wildlife conservation. The final section discusses the Irwins’ efforts at the Australian Zoo: “Our passion for wildlife is our elixir of life and we'll die defending animals that others deem dangerous and threatening.”