This work investigates the brutal murder of Chico Mendes and the broader, violent conflict over the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Andrew Revkin, an environmental journalist, utilizes extensive on-the-ground reporting and interviews with local activists, ranchers, and government officials to reconstruct the events leading to Mendes's death. The book presents a detailed examination of the intersection between economic development, land rights, and ecological conservation in Brazil.

The text provides a rigorous and sobering look at the human cost of environmental advocacy in a volatile political landscape. Its focus on the specific socio-economic pressures of the Amazon makes it a significant resource for understanding the complexities of conservation history.