The Desert World

A broad survey treats desert not merely as barren sand but as any region little occupied by permanent human settlement, ranging from sandy seas and polar wastes to high mountain crests and uncultivated plains. It combines natural history, geology, hydrology, vegetation, and animal life with descriptive landscape passages and regional case studies to show how climate, soil, and water produce dunes, lakes, marshes, and forests. Chapters examine human responses and industry, seasonal rhythms and dangers, and the aesthetic and scientific impressions these varied solitary environments inspire.