Explorations of the Wild and the Human Spirit

Journey into a collection of essays, reflections, and field observations that seek to uncover the deeper truths hidden within the desert and ourselves.

These writings weave together natural history, survival wisdom, philosophy, and personal experience — offering a window into The Way of Things.

The Secret Knowledge of Water

Craig Childs This book has been read and enjoyed by a wide variety and for good reason; the author delves into such issues as history of the environmental movement and natural history while doing so in an artistic and sometimes poetic and even spiritual manner which is often the hallmark

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The Bighorn of Death Valley

Ralph E. Welles and Florence B. Welles This book is often referred to as “Welles and Welles” in normal conversation as well as in scientific literature. This book is often cited in scientific literature to this very day and is considered the foundational study of the desert bighorn sheep but

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The Voice of the Coyote

J. Frank Dobie The Voice of the Coyote is not simply a book on coyotes; it is, in essence, a trip to the past. It was written from and to a culture that is no longer common, so one must keep in mind that its author and audience was not

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Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West

Michael Moore In my opinion, this book is well written and organized. The subject of medicinal plants can be difficult to write about accurately in both the scientific manner as well as the traditional and holistic approach. This book accomplishes just that with the expectation that the reader will use

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The Golden Guides

Golden Press New York These wonderful books cover an array of subjects that I, and many others, remember and cherish from our youth. While often considered literature based for children or young adults, these books carry with them a complete and useful overview of their subject matter. As the name

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Newberry Cave

C. Alan Davis and Gerald A. Smith This particular book offers an insight into the desert southwest’s past. It contains an official publication of an archaeological study. It can be a bit cumbersome to someone other than an archaeologist, but it is a study worth reading. One of the reasons

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Windswept – The Story of Wind and Weather

Marq de Villiers I found this to be an excellent book!  It seemed to be more about the wind than weather, but as we know, wind and weather are inseparable.   The wind is often a major component that can be discussed in its own right.  This book covers not

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Great Arc of the Wild Sheep

James L. Clark I found this book to be an ideal piece for any naturalist trying to better understand the desert southwest. A true understanding of what is taking place in a particular ecosystem is rooted in an in-depth understanding of individual animal species. While this book provides the science

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The Pinon Pine – A Natural and Cultural History

Ronal M Lanner For someone wanting to understand the ecology of the desert southwest, a detailed knowledge of the Pinon Pine tree is an excellent place to start. Other plant species such as the Saguaro Cactus, Joshua Tree, Greasewood Juniper and Sagebrush are all vitally important to an ecosystem, but

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Desert Ecology

John Sowell I found this book to be fascinating and one that I truly recommend to anybody exploring the desert southwest. In some ways, it is similar to book The Secret Knowledge of Water. The author did not delve as deeply into the philosophical issues and wanderings as was done

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A Field Guide to Desert Holes

Pinau Merlin This book definitely fits the category as a field guide and one of the better ones I’ve seen. It covers subjects rarely talked about but that extremely valuable. It may be difficult for a person to walk the desert without wondering who, what, or where the animals are

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