Sioux Falls Scientists endorse Edge of Existence for showing us how
human beings can find a niche in the environment almost anywhere.

Edge of Existence
Exploring Communities on the Edge of Civilization
Everyday Survival in our Planet's Least-forgiving Places

Edge of Existence (2009) - 199 minutes
Edge of Existence at Amazon.com

How do humans thrive, day after day in nature's most extreme environments? Award-winning journalist Donal MacIntryre experiences their harsh struggles first hand in four engrossing excursions to the farthest reaches of the world.

Join Macintyre as he lives with Bedouins on the edge of the vast Rub' al Khali Desert, where temperatures regularly exceed 120ºF; the Insect Tribe in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea, where men spear crocodiles by torchlight; the Quechuan Indians in the Bolivian Andes, where salt flats stretch to the horizon in thin, barely breathable air; and the Bajau Laut, landless nomads who survive entirely on boats in the Celebes Sea. Each adventure serves a study in humans' adaptability, imagination, and indomitable will to survive.

An athlete and multi-award-winning investigative reporter, Donal MacIntyre has gone undercover to expose soccer hooligans, organized criminals, and abuses at eldercare facilities. His career in print and broadcast journalism spans more than 20 years.

• Episode 1 Oman
  • In an ocean of scorching sand and searing heat, the Al-Amri family carries on a Bedouin tradition that has lasted thousands of years. MacIntyre joins them to herd goats, race camels, and undertake an arduous three-day trek to the sea.
• Episode 2 Papua New Guinea
  • Former cannibals unknown to Westerners until the 1950s, the Insect Tribe of the rainforest depends on the river for fish, transportation, and an abundant supply of crocodiles. MacIntyre hunts for boar and crocs alongside the tribesmen.
• Episode 3 Bolivia
  • Blinding Sun, bitter cold, and thin air don't faze the Mamani family, Quechuan Indians who mine salt from the Altiplano high in the Andes. After witnessing a violent religious ritual, MacIntyre leans the rigors of salt harvesting and trading.
• Episode 4 Borneo
  • For the outcast Bajau Laut - sea gypsies who rarely set foot on land - life is circumscribed by crude, roach-infested 10-by-16 foot boats. Two brothers, Pilar and Sabung, welcome MacIntyre for spearfishing, stingray hunting, and furtive trips ashore.

Edge of Existence
Exploring Communities on the Edge of Civilization
Everyday Survival in our Planet's Least-forgiving Places

Sioux Falls Scientists endorse Edge of Existence for showing us how
human beings can find a niche in the environment almost anywhere.