The Deserts of the Southwest: A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide (Sierra Club Naturalist's Guides) [Paperback]

Lane Larson (Author), Peggy Larson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sierra Club Naturalist's Guides | Publication Date: June 6, 2000

Newly revised and updated, this comprehensive field guide describes the four deserts of the American Southwest—the Great Basin, Mojave, Chihuahuan, and Sonoran—which together stretch into nine southwestern states and Mexico. The topography, geology, and climatic conditions of these arid lands set the stage for one of the most fascinating of ecological studies: the survival and adaptation of animal and plant life in the severe, often extreme desert climate and terrain.
Abundantly illustrated with line drawings, maps, charts, and diagrams, The Deserts of the Southwest offers both the outdoor adventurer and the armchair naturalist a clear and detailed portrait of this complex, beautiful, fragile wilderness.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Newly revised and updated, The Deserts of the Southwest is a comprehensive field companion to the plants, animals, geology, topography, climate, and ecology of the American Southwest. A perennial classic, it describes the four deserts -- the Great Basin, Mohave, Chihuahuan, and Sonoran -- which together stretch into nine southwestern states and Mexico. The topography, geology, and climatic conditions of these arid lands set the stage for one of the most fascinating of ecological studies: the survival and adaptation of animal and plant life in the severe, often extreme desert climate and terrain.

Abundantly illustrated with line drawings, maps, charts, and diagrams, The Deserts of the Southwest offers both the outdoor adventurer and the armchair naturalist a clear and detailed portrait of this complex, beautiful, and fragile wilderness.

"This book should help any desert adventurer, neophyte or         seasoned traveler, to be better prepared."
-- Desert News

"Peggy Larson has given us...a fine handbook for the newcomer        who wants to know more about what he sees, and even for those         of us who have lived here for many years."
-- Arizona Highways

About the Author

Peggy Larson, a longtime resident of the Southwest, is the author of many books about the natural world, including Deserts of America. Formerly a librarian, she is now Archivist for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books; 2nd edition (June 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578050529
• ISBN-13: 978-1578050529
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Ecosystems > Deserts
  • #39 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Travel with Pets

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Southwest Deserts Come Alive, May 12, 2000

By 

Michael Wischmeyer (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide to the Deserts of the Southwest (Paperback)

We camped for a week in the Davis Mountains in west Texas in a section of the Chihuahuan desert last summer. This was not our first desert experience - we have hiked and camped across much of the Southwest over the last twenty years or so. This was an unplanned trip as we were headed toward southern Colorado, but we became fascinated by the Chihuahuan desert and somehow we never drove any further.

We were similarly quite lucky to find a copy of the first edition of Peggy Larson's Sierra Guidebook in a bookstore in Alpine, Texas. She presents the deserts of the American southwest (and northern Mexico) in a literate and educated fashion. She manages to discuss individual plants and animals in some detail while painting a large scale, beautiful portrait of the four major deserts of North America. Detailed ink drawings - landscape, geology, plants, and animals - are scattered throughout the narrative and add considerable value. She knows her subject and shares her knowledge in an intriguing fashion. She effectively uses scientific names of desert plants and animals interchangeably with common (but less unique) names without intimidating the reader. This is not a novel and it is quite possible to skip to selected chapters of personal interest, but I highly recommend exploring all chapters, all topics. Peggy Larson's style is really quite good.

If you are already familiar with the American deserts, you will find "The Deserts of the Southwest" a rewarding visit with an old friend. If you are somewhat new to the deserts and possibly have only sampled the deserts from a highway perspective, I suspect that after reading Peggy Larson's book you will likely change your travel plans to include a personal visit to an American desert.

4.0 out of 5 stars Arrived very fast!, September 23, 2011

By 

Joyce Matthews (Tucson, Arizona, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Deserts of the Southwest: A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide (Sierra Club Naturalist's Guides) (Paperback)

This book arrived quickly. It was what I had expected. It will be a handy reference book. Thank you for the prompt response.