In 1935, when Paul Sears set out to write his book, Deserts on the March, drought gripped much of the United States, and the Dust Bowl was at its worst. Great dust clouds were blowing as far east as New York and Washington, D.C. The publication of Deserts on the March had a profound impact in awakening America to the task of controlling soil erosion through proper land management and understanding of ecological relationships.
Today, global desertification and deforestation continue on a grand scale. Each year about 42,000 square miles of forests are lost - an area the size of Tennessee. International studies show that desertification - the expansion of desert-like landscapes into semi-arid environments due to the impact of human influences - now threatens about one-third of the world's land surface and affects the livelihoods of at least 850 million people.
The great strength of Deserts on the March does not lie so much in its precise predictions or policy prescriptions. Rather, this beautifully written book should be read for Sears' ecological wisdom and his sweeping story of man's destruction of the earth.
