Customer Reviews

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

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"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!

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.

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."