5 comments about Florida Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. I use this book occasionally, but it is lacks the detailed for use by itself. Where I do use it is with mapquest, that tends to not show the smaller lakes, but the Gazetteer does a much better job.



2. Easy to read and use, invaluable when traveling in city or hiking in rural areas. Very detailed, provides names of area sites that are interesting to stop by, which are not included on road maps.



3. A bit difficult to handle (size). Good enough to use in your car.



4. This book has it all! My hubby just entered the boating world, and this book is a great guide to rivers, campsites, boat ramps, and more. A must have if you are the adventure type!



5. I have purchased every updated version of this book for quite a number of years. In Florida, roads and public lands change constantly, so each new edition is like re-discovering my home state.
   
   I also buy the books for North Carolina and Virginia.

2 comments about Top 10 London (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides).

1. Excellent source of information. Well organized book with maps for each section. Fold out maps on each cover with a pull-out in back are all very helpful. It came in especially handy while planning the trip but was also useful while there. Small enough to fit in your jacket or bag.



2. These top 10 Eyewitness guide books are terrific. They are rugged, compact thus easily portable with great maps. Lots of info for its size. Also reasonable in price. They have them for a number of cities abroad.

1 comments about The Rough Guide to Ultimate Adventures 1 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. Lewis and Clark. John Wesley Powell. Greg Witt. They're all tops in the field of adventure travel. And they know their stuff. Trust them.
   
   Ultimate Adventures takes you on a whiplash ride from O2-thin summits to batty caves--and everywhere in between. It's an exciting read, as well as a fantastic trip-planning tool. It's filled with fascinating background details and how-to tips for 177 of the world's greatest outdoor adventures. It's all here: hiking, diving, surfing, kayaking, kiteboarding, mountain biking, dog-sledding. Plenty of compelling photos, too.
   
   Each adventure comes with an "Is this for me" rating which assesses the physical demands, the psych or emotional challenge, the skill required, and the overall "Wow!" it delivers--so you know what you're getting into.
   
   Ultimate Adventures is a therapeutic book for those suffering from Stage II, III or IV Wanderlust. (See Wanderlust-o-Meter below for a handy diag tool) It will feed your need for intense adventure, thrilling (yet accessible) peaks, exotic treks, exceptional wildlife viewing, and wild rivers waiting to be run. No more lame vacation - or worse yet, "staycations" (whoever thought that was a good idea?).
   
   If you have money to spend on travel, and are way past Stage I Wanderlust, then buy a copy of Ultimate Adventures and start dog-earring.
   
   WANDERLUST-O-METER
   Stage I - My last adventure trip was in 1987 when I wandered the "realistic" European villages at Disneyworld. Wow!
   Stage II - I subscribe to every travel magazine there is and usually spend my tax return on a trip to somewhere I've never been.
   Stage III - My best vacation is your worst nightmare. Don't make me lie on a beach in Hawaii. I crave excitement. Heliskiing? Sure! Whitewater rafting? Bring it on!
   Stage IV - Ultimate Adventure? I'm reading this with my headlamp from the bottom of a cave at Borneo (see p. 286).

2 comments about California Atlas & Gazetteer (Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer Series).

1. I was recently the navigator on a 10 day California coast road trip. I ordered the Delorme Atlas to serve as a back-up to my Nuvi GPS. The map is certainly is the better way for looking ahead for rest areas. Half way through the trip, the binding cracked and pages began to fall out. Not good when driving in a convertible with the top down! So I stopped at a Kinko's Copy Center and they replaced the binding with a spiral binding. Now it went from a good atlas to a great atlas! I'm certainly going to do this to any other Delorme atlas I use in the future.



2. The California Gazetteer always goes with me on a road trip - or if I'm planning one. I'm a new transplant to California, and the maps in the Gazetteer are colorful, easy to read, and as complete as I need. I very rarely can't find where I'm heading on these maps, and they are easy enough for my navigator to keep up where we are and where we need to go on. I am very satisfied.

5 comments about Morocco (Country Guide).

1. I love this books, they are the best travel guides. The book was in perfect condition and it arrived on time.



2. For a recent trip to Morocco, I bought the 2007 edition of Lonely Planet's MOROCCO guide alongside its major competitor, The Rough Guide to Morocco. While Lonely Planet's guide covers the major sights and will be just the thing for casual holiday makers, it unfortunately continues the publisher's trend of abandoning "travel as lifestyle" readers, once Lonely Planet's target demographic.
   
   If you intend on slowly working your way through the whole of Morocco, seeking contact with the locals at all cost, and traveling cheaply, then Lonely Planet guide is not really worth it. LP seems to assume that the reader is rich: it recommends expensive hotels and suggests that one hire guides. It also doesn't push people to meet ordinary Moroccans. Hammams (Turkish-style baths) are a great way to enter into local custom, but instead of listing ones patronized by the locals, LP often lists expensive spa-type locations. Morocco is also a paradise for hitchhiking, where again one is brought directly into contact with people not in the tourist trade, but LP doesn't pitch it.
   
   Comparing the LP to the Rough Guide to Morocco, the Rough Guide comes out on top. Sure, the presence of a few ads in the text, and the fact that the Rough Guide line is published by the faceless corporation Penguin, are annoying. Nonetheless, the Rough Guide caters to all audiences, both the wealthy and shoestring travelers. The Rough Guide also describes Morocco in considerably more detail than the Lonely Planet guide, gives substantial recommendations on music, books, and film from or about Morocco, and even includes a few tales by Moroccan traditional storytellers.
   
   Ahough both publishers have put out 2007 editions, the Rough Guide is more up to date than the Lonely Planet. An increasing number of travelers are heading down through Western Sahara to Mauritania and beyond. This route has gotten easier, with transportation now easy available from Dakhla. But Lonely Planet's coverage of this entire area seems to have changed little since the 2005 guide, and the authors still claim you have to provide your own transportation.
   
   I found really only two points in favour of purchasing the Lonely Planet guide. One is a large section dedicated to trekking, which the Rough Guide lacks (though here it again assumes that the readers are wealthy). The other is that LP's maps are slightly more detailed for some cities than those in the Rough Guide. All in all, if you are a wealthy traveler looking for a relaxing but exotic vacation, you can ignore all that I've written and buy LP's guide with confidence. If you are an independent traveler planning on trekking, get both the LP and the Rough Guide. But the backpacking and hitchhiking crowd can just get the Rough Guide and pass the LP by.



3. I used the Lonely Planet Morocco guidebook this past summer in 2007 for about a three week trip. I spoke no French or Arabic so needless to say I was pretty much dependent on the guidebook to give me a basic overview of the cities I visited. I really didn't have a definite itinerary so using the information from the guide I was able to make arrangements on the go. I liked how the chapters were organized and the breakdown of logistical information was really helpful. The maps in the guidebook were pretty basic and sometimes more confusing than helpful.
   I truly benefited from my use of the guidebook and without it I don't know what I would have done. However, I did have a few dislikes. First, this book is extremely heavy so I ended up ripping out pages I needed. Second, Lonely Planet devotes a good amount of pages to history and culture, which is interesting yet not always directly useful to the traveler on the road. Also, I found the descriptions of the hotels under the budget heading in Rabat and Ouzoude to be sub-par to their gushing descriptions in LP. And a negative aspect I encountered in Morocco, especially in Fes, was that hoteliers were using their exposure in LP to hawk their hotels. One place I inquired after even raised prices because they were featured in LP. The overbearing and opinioned tone of the guidebook can be off-putting as well. And, I had some of my most memorable experiences when I put aside that LP guidebook.
   LP gives a rough sketch of the cities and is a great tool in researching a place ahead of time. And does a great job in serving as a jump-off point for further exploration and adventure.



4. This book disappointed me. The info is cursory, at best. But what is profoundly disappointing is that there is basically *no* help in selecting or planning a trip. All that it amounts to is a catalog of places, with a summary about each place. If what you want is page after page of what, basically, you could get with a cursory web search, then this is your book. If what you want is a little help in picking what to do on a trip to Morocco, then buy something else, like the Rough Guide or even the excellent Fodor guide.



5. This is yet another informative and useful travel guide from Lonely Planet. Almost all the descriptions are very detailed and accurate. I recently came back from a rather short, but power packed tour of Morocco and this guide helped me plan the trip very well.
   The supplemental information about the food, sweets, history and culture is very helpful.
   
   It only seems to lack in providing a list of tour companies that can arrange trips into Sahara. It is very difficult for a solo backpacker to plan a trip to the desert without being ripped by the travel agents and the so called faux guides.

5 comments about The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square.

1. Ned Sublette, author of Cuba and Its Music, embarks on a daring undertaking in a detailed and complete history of the Big Easy. Sublette spent the 2004-2005 year in New Orleans, leaving just three months before Hurricane Katrina hit and the levees broke, changing the city forever; making this book all the more meaningful and emotional.
   
   With extensive research, Sublette starts at the very beginning, explaining the topography and geology of the Mississippi River and the substantial yet flooded Mississippi Delta, and how there was simply nothing that could really be built there before the advent of water pumps created the potential for draining of the area. In a time when the land that would one day be Louisiana was being fought over and used by the Spanish, French, and British, while every piece of natural resource in this part of the world was being used for the benefit of the Western World, coupled with the unceasing influx of slaves, a group of settlers began a town that would one day become the great city of New Orleans. Inhabitants included an influx of forced citizens from France consisting of prostitutes and convicts.
   
   From its genesis, New Orleans was composed of an entire world of nationalities, cultures, faiths, and languages. Like the spine of the book, Sublette uses music as the backbone of The World That Made New Orleans, discussing the influences and developments of these different people, many of them slaves. It is a city that, after the catastrophic events of Hurricane Katrina, will never be the same - like New York missing the World Trade Center skyline. Thankfully, Sublette does an incredible job of revealing the many chapters in the history of New Orleans.
   
   For more reviews, and writings, or to buy yourself a copy, please visit www.alexctelander.com



2. as enlightening as it is it has a couple of major problems. It just peters out at the end as if the author lost focus and couldn't figure out what to do about it. The chapter on the "Indians" seemed to be just tacked on! It was as if it was taken from another book. It didn't fit this book at all. Maybe it would have if the author had continued his narritive in a linear fashion. I'm surprised the publisher or editor let this glaring problem go! Also there is the VERY tiresome rehashing of the "Did Tom sire Sally's children " routine. To further the sin the writer uses this as premise to launch into an anti-Jefferson rant. This is amateurish and I'm again surprised the editor didn't rein the author.
   Thomas Jefferson had his many flaws as did all the founders but I doubt he was as evil as the author makes him out to be. Other than those problems I enjoyed the book very much!



3. Sublette has done an amazing job pulling together political, cultural and social elements into a very compelling narrative. And super-informative too. Extremely impressive historical writing (and this is coming from a history major).
   
   I LOVE how international and broad the perspective is. He really illuminates the dynamics of the time in a fantastic and vivid way.
   It's seriously among the most readable and thorough books I've read.



4. There aren't many good histories of New Orleans available and this is one of the best and most comprehensive (as far as how much of that history it covers...i don't mean to imply it is a complete history) i have come across. For those who know the New Orleans area well, the anecdotes regarding characters who have generally been lost to history for whom bridges, neighborhoods, and streets are named will fascinate and amuse. Overall the information and the reverent tone with which it is presented make this a must read for both citizens and lovers of the City of New Orleans.I have made this a gift for a half dozen friends and family.



5. This book, as previously noted, is a complex, detailed and enthralling (for history buffs) book that ties together many different historical threads that make up one part of the culture, especially the music culture, of New Orleans. While my heart has gone out to New Orleans and its people since Katrina, this book really made me understand so much more of what makes New Orleans unique, and what the U.S. will lose in losing some of the people who make up New Orleans' culture.
   
   In addition, when recently in New Orleans, we attended a local festival (the Mirliton Festival), and when a local group, 101 Runners, played "Injun" music, I knew exactly what was going on, thanks to Mr. Sublette's book. I felt privileges to see, and be a little part of, this apect of the local culture.

2 comments about Egypt - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!).

1. The little book presents an excellent overview of a country with a complicated history. It covers succinctly the highlights of Egyptian history from the earliest time through to the present in so few pages that you end up with a real understanding of the progression of time. It then covers current social, economic, and political life. It gives excellent advice on what every tourist should know but even if you aren't going to Egypt this would be an interesting read. I can't imagine not reading this before going. It is not a guide book and is not advertised as such.



2. This is not a guide book - it's not about places, good restaurants and value hotels.
   
   This is about the people of Egypt, their history, their culture and how they think.
   
   As such, it is a much more interesting read than any guide book.

5 comments about City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi.

1. I was born and brought up in Delhi, and lived there for 21 years of my life, after which I emigrated to the United States. This book made me feel that how oblivious many of us 'locals' are, of the many riches and insights that my home city has to offer.
   
   William Dalrymple peels the multilayered culture of the historical city of Delhi - seven times the capital of empires - ruined and rebuilt again. He spans from the Punjabi immigrants that've filled the newer parts of economically booming Delhi sice the partition of India in 1947; to the more historic but now decrepit old Delhi - where the legendary age old 'Persian' customs such as the 'Kabootar' (Pegion) fights, the 'Chor' (Thief) Bazaars and the mysterious 'Hakims' (Doctors practicing an old school of medicine) are unquestioned parts of the daily lives of many. Dalrymple also describes the curious and unique collision of history leading to the current day fate of the Indian Hijras (Eunuchs), who ring the door bells of apartments of Delhi's denizens, in the old city and the new, on any kind of festivity. He describes the fascinating history and architecture of the tomb of Himayun and Hazrat Nizam-ud-din, the charming old 'Quawaalis' (musical forums) still alive there, and many other monuments that I visited umpteen times as a kid, the 'Sadhus', an ancient culture intact with flavors... the list is endless. Somehow, I missed making the connections, and could see the beauty of the entire kaliedoscope when I read this book. I find my visits to Delhi so much more fascinating. One thing that the readers must be made aware though is the overt focus on history of Mughal (Persian) Delhi - which is for a reason - that all the pre-Mughal monuments were destroyed. The Delhi that exists is newer than the spirit of the city really is.
   
   Since I read this book I always try to find such books on the cities I've visited. A strong recommend for anyone visiting Delhi -- you can choose to be put off by the seeming boorishness of the existing 'New' Delhi, or scratch beneath the surface and discover magic!



2. I lived in Delhi for just under a year in the eighties, and if I had had this book then, it would have been a completely different experience for me. I walked by so much history in puraani delhi, and understood little of its significance. When I return to Delhi, this book will light my way into Mughal, British and Sufi Delhi.
   
   I agree with another reviewer that Dalrymple says relatively little about Hindu Delhi, but I think Delhi is one of the most historically cosmopolitan of cities in a subcontinent that is often painted as Hindu in broad strokes. I hope no reader takes as disrespect when I say that Hindu India gets plenty of attention; I am glad that Dalrymple focused on what cultural roads are less traveled. He does tell, and beautifully so, the story of the role of Delhi's ancestral settlement in the Mahabharata.
   
   What I loved most about the book was its portrayal of the vibrant Sufi community in India; the life of a Sufi dargah; the Qawwali singers. Learning about Sufi Delhi was a great and valuable revelation to me.



3. The first thing that is incredibly interesting about this book is the way it is approached. To call it a travel book, I feel, is diminishing the many other aspects & experiences this book is about.
   
   This book is kind of a diary of Dalrymple & wife's year in Delhi. And it is also a book of history scattered behind the sights, the people, & the culture. Dalrymple narrates compellingly, candidly, without biases & with plentiful humour. Stories abound - of the destitute but historically cultured 'old Delhi-wallahs' & the loutish Punjabi nouveau rich, of Anglo-Indians living in reminisce & poverty, of the Delhi eunuchs, of Dervishes that speak in parables, of partridge fights, of khalifas, of Balwinder Singh's buoyancy & lust, of Mr & Mrs Puri's idiosyncrasies.
   
   And while you're drifting from one of these interludes to the other, you're taken centuries back to the Kingdom of Shah Jehan, Aurangzeb's treachery & network of spies, of incest in Royal Harems, of Englishmen who smoked hookahs - some who became Indian in their ways beyond recognition, some who continued their English ways, of the partition, of Tughlak's barbaric ways, of the refined mannerisms of a mirza during the Mughal period, of the Red Fort & what lies beneath.
   
   Dalrymple is also an astute recorder of conversations. Some of the 'Indian English' that is spoken is in such sharp contrast to Dalrymple's speech, that you cannot help but get tickled. However, I do not think that Dalrymple's intention is mockery for there are plentiful other examples to the contrary.
   
   I definitely learned & relearned a lot from this book. I also developed a sense of Delhi's history & a empathy for it's present. And I smiled a lot.



4. I loved reading all the three books by this author - The last Mughal, The White Mughal and City of Djinns. Unlike the other two, City of Djinns , is a little fast paced, more readable and is not as much detailed. If you have lived in Delhi and wondered about its history or a tourist heading for Delhi, you will look at things differently if you have read this book. The book is so readable that I would have liked more details especially Mughal and pre-Mughal history. Overall this is a great book.



5. Dalrymple writes wonderfully. I read this while visiting Delhi, and it made me want to find all those places he described - many of which are off the beaten track. Dalrymple, a true historian, uncovers a whole other India beneath what regular tourists see. Both his discoveries as well as the reflections on his own life woven in are fascinating. I highly recommend this book, and I even more so recommend reading it while travelling in India, as it will fully allow you to appreciate "City of Djinns".

5 comments about How to Move to Canada: A Primer for Americans.

1. I found this book reasonably useful as a means of learning how the immigration process works for Canada. You could certainly research all this info on the Internet yourself, but it would be a bother. The author points out some common and potentially serious mistakes that applicants often make on their paperwork.
   
   Also, she herself is an American immigrant to Canada, and speaks from experience and from the American perspective, which makes this book superior to another of its type, "Living and Working in Canada" which was written by a British citizen for an audience of non-North Americans.



2. This is the most thoroughly readable how-to book I have seen on moving to Canada. It is practical and authoritative and has helped my quest for emigration greatly. It's a good investment and the perfect 'starter' book for anyone with thoughts of becoming an ex-pat by moving north of the border.



3. This book doesn't pull any punches - you are leaving the United States and moving to another country - an action not to be taken lightly at all. Whether entering our friendly neighbors to the north as just a permanent resident or going all the way and becoming a Canadian citizen (Note! You don't have to give up your US citizenship!)- it's a lot more complicated than just arriving, buying a house, and starting your new job that you've previously located and landed. Interesting sidebar segments on those who have gone before and what they did - or wished they had done - to make the move and transition easier and less stressful.
   
   Yes you can "retire" to Canada - you just have to loan the government $400,000 (CD) interest free for 61 months and have total assets of greater than $800,000 (CD) when you enter and before the loan. No more just showing up with your retirement nest egg.



4. Myths about Canada abound: it's a "fake country," it has a population of 20, people are allowed to marry moose, it's one big year-round hockey tournament, it doesn't really exist, everyone speaks a vulgar form of French, and they have free healthcare but you'll perish waiting in line for service. Canada gets taken for granted. As such, many south of "the other border" know little about the enormous country that sits on top of them. And so myths perpetuate like Yukon snow. But moving to Canada? That assumes one already acknowledges its existence and possesses at least a speck of knowledge about the land with the maple leaf flag. "How To Move To Canada" only assumes the former. Those with no, or very minute, familiarity with Canada will drown in the historical, cultural, and political knowledge contained in these thick 200 pages.
   
   Though its subtitle, "A Primer for Americans," remains a bit of a misnomer (since Canadians are also Americans), this book nonetheless provides a great launching pad for those wanting to immigrate to the Great White North. Note that this book assumes readers want to permanently move to Canada, or at least obtain dual citizenship (only a recent possibility). But those who merely want to "try it out" via a temporary work permit will also benefit from the information within. Both groups will learn about the steps to long term settlement, the long process, and the potential legal roadblocks. Such questions as "when do I need an immigration attorney?" and "how long does citizenship take?" get addressed throughout. A handy "Immigration Time Line" outlines the steps from deciding to move, to permanent residency, and ultimately to Canadian citizenship. But again the underlying assumption is that the reader wants to immigrate, not just get a job. That's an important distinction the book doesn't address very clearly. People can move to and work in Canada without immigrating. Section Two does mention work permits, but briefly. It also contains another very short section on retiring to Canada. Those looking for detailed information on those subjects should look elsewhere.
   
   Hopefully those considering moving to Canada have already done their homework about where and why they want to move. Regardless, "Moving to Canada" contains droves of information on Canadian history, healthcare, politics, climate, differences from province to province (and territory to territory), employment, crime, economy (including housing prices) and demographics. No previous knowledge required. The final section, which makes up more than half the book's bulk, outlines basic information for all ten provinces, three territories, and many major cities. A word of caution: this book was published in 2006, but much of its information dates to the most recently available data. Some dates to 2001. Laws and the economy obviously fluctuate, so readers should consider that while perusing this book's figures. Canada's immigration website, frequently mentioned in the book, remains a good up to date resource.
   
   "How To Move To Canada" contains far more than immigration instructions. It encompasses a historical and cultural survey of North America's placid giant. Expect to learn things like "why do people in Quebec speak French?" "does Canada have a Queen?" "how did Canada become what it is today?" but especially "how do I move there permanently?" This book even serves as a great reference for those who don't ultimately immigrate. As such, "How To Move To Canada" remains a great and easy to read introduction for anyone.



5. Great book that provides comprehensive information on Canadian Immigration process. Also covers the different immigration rules in different provinces of Canada. The book also sites good online references. A useful resource for Americans who wish to immigrate to Canada.

5 comments about The Secret Knowledge of Water : Discovering the Essence of the American Desert.

1. This was a very interesting book about water in the desert. We read it for book club and it made for a very interesting discussion.



2. This is a great book for those that love the desert. The descriptive narrative is beautiful. The abundance of the waters in stark rock desert is amazing. Ancient trails to water, pockets in the sandstone, Native American religeons tied to the seeming magic appearance of waters coming from the earth. All tied together with descriptive prose that lets you feel the cool water after scorched days of walking. There is just enough scientific fact blended in that you will find yourself learning a little something as well. I also recommend the authors book "The Animal Dialogues".



3. I perhaps shouldn't be writing a review for a book of which I read only 15 pages, but I don't think the sample of reviews should be skewed toward people who could stomach more of the writing than I could, either. The book put me in mind of George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language", which isn't exactly on point, but is fundamentally about writers whose writing gets in the way of communication and even thought. There seem to be some interesting stories in this book hidden behind what veers from prose to the edge of bad poetry; it didn't seem to me to be worth it.
   
   Your mileage may vary; if it's convenient to look at a sample of the writing, perhaps you will like the style better than I did. I would warn you about thinking you're buying something readable, though, just because the topic interests you.



4. As a desert person I reveled in this book about finding water in the desert, but it is more than that. It is about how water affects all of us and why we need to take care of that precious resource. I have purchased additional copies from time to time to pass on to others. His spititual approach to water and to life is what really moved me the most. Don't miss this journey.



5. One has chance encounters when hiking the back trails, and often a useful nugget of useful knowledge is obtained. But it is extremely unlikely that one would meet someone of Craig Childs' erudition and obsessions. Fortunately, one does not have to rely on those meetings of chance; this book obviates the need, and one can walk with the author on the many trails he has taken in the past. His "area of operation" is primarily the deserts of Arizona and the immediate surroundings.
   
   I was immediately drawn in by his first chapter, "Maps of Water Holes," in which he relates his crossing of the Cabeza Prieta in southern Arizona. He is following El Camino del Diablo (the Road of the Devil) no doubt so named because of the number of travelers who did not complete the journey. His "companion" is a map made in the late 1600's, by a Spanish missionary, Father Eusebio Kino. Craig is amazed at its accuracy. One of the many things that I learned is that water will be stored naturally, not where you would expect it - in the lowest points of elevation, but up high, trapped in "tinajas," rock basins. How to find these tinajas without a map - Craig finds it useful to "follow the bees."
   
   There are major chapters on the various forms that water assumes in the desert, from the still water (the water that waits), to the water that moves, seeps, forms streams and the cataclysm of "fierce water." In the still water exists the oldest living animal on the plant, a crustacean called a "Triops." When the water disappears, these, as well as other animals and plants assume dormant states, awaiting the next appearance of the source of life.
   
   Craig is clearly a "hands-on" researcher, and obviously loves his work, which has given him an opportunity to follow his obsession. And "pushing" his hikes to see what is around that next bend almost cost him his life, to an abundance of the book's subject - in a flash flood in a canyon. He wears his erudition lightly; his inquisitiveness is not compartmentalized. His principal focus is the ecology of the desert, its flora and fauna, with Latin names frequently affixed. But he has a solid background also in geology and the human history. His prose style is crisp, and he'll surprise you with reference to the 13th Century Persian poet, Rumi, the Kama Sutra, and a search for a water hole deep in the Gobi desert.
   
   In other chapters he relates the horrifying tale of the sacrifice of children of the Tohono O'odham tribe to stop the flow of too much water, and visits the memorial to them. He also goes to the Muleshoe Ranch, where the manager, Bob Rogers, has done much to restore the naturally ecology of the desert, for the most fundamental of reasons: his livelihood depends on it. To exist in the desert environment, one must be in harmony with it. An obvious principle which is all too often forgotten in human efforts to "conquer it." In another chapter he discusses "Chubascos", the storms of the desert, and how they differ from the monsoons of southeast Asia, and how the later term was applied to the summer rains by returning veterans. In yet another, he witnesses a flood at Kanab, the wall of mud that followed a channel that had been dry for 8 months, ending by pointing out that at Fredonia, only seven miles away, it never even become cloudy. Such is the nature of the Chubascos.
   The only point in the entire book I would question is his assertion that all the water on earth is derived from collisions with comets.
   
   Overall though, Craig's book is an enthralling read, and a testament to an individual who has clearly taken the trail less traveled.