The Desert's Past: A Natural Prehistory of the Great Basin [Hardcover]

GRAYSON DONALD K (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian; First Edition edition (August 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560982225
• ISBN-13: 978-1560982227
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,182,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #67 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geology > Historical

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A concise, readable look at the ancient Great Basin, May 16, 2000

By 

Frank Mullen Jr. "RenoMan" (Reno, Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Desert's Past: A Natural Prehistory of the Great Basin (Paperback)

"The Desert's Past" is a very readable book about the prehistory of the Great Basin. From the Ice Age flora and fauna to the first evidence of humans around the ancient lakes, Grayson takes the reader on a journey in a time machine. He incorporates the research of botonists, archaeologists and other scientists into an easily understood history. Although many discoveries -- especially concerning early humans -- have been made since the book was written, most of the book remains valid and is a must-read for anyone interested in the prehistory of the region. Grayson also has a chapter on the Donner Party, which gives insight into why the survivors (mostly women) made it through the tragedy. Highly recommended!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for readers interested in the Pleistocene, February 5, 2002

By 

Matt Gregory (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Desert's Past: A Natural Prehistory of the Great Basin (Hardcover)

This book provides a wealth of information about the Pleistocene history of the Great Basin. Grayson covers numerous aspects of the Great Basin's natural history including: Geology, Geomorphology, Paleoclimatology, and Paleonotology. The treatment of ancient lake basins is well worth the investment alone. With the help of Grayson you gain an understanding of why there were large lakes in the western US not too long ago and why most of them vanished. I consider the book to be well suited for scientist and non-scientist. If you live in the Great Basin or are just interested in its natural history I would highly recommmend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars a remarkable book, January 26, 2009

By 

Evelyn Johnson "New Mexico Penstemon Fanatic" (Farmington, New Mexico United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Desert's Past: A Natural Prehistory of the Great Basin (Paperback)

A very dense, meaty and throughly enjoyable look at the past (and present!) of a very interesting part of the West.
Am considering running away to the Great basin and becoming a paleo-something.
Am puzzled, though, by the lack of mention of two of my other favorite books on the area: Mclane's "Silent Cordilleras" and Houghton's "A Trace of Desert Waters."