Product Description

Longtime residents of the Sonoran Desert, the Tohono O'odham people have spent centuries living off the land-a land that most modern citizens of southern Arizona consider totally inhospitable. Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan has lived with the Tohono O'odham, long known as the Papagos, observing the delicate balance between these people and their environment. Bringing O'odham voices to the page at every turn, he writes elegantly of how they husband precious scant water supplies, grow crops, and utilize wild edible foods. Woven through his account are coyote tales, O'odham children's impressions of the desert, and observations on the political problems that come with living on both sides of an international border. Whether visiting a sacred cave in the Boboquivari Mountains or attending a saguaro wine-drinking ceremony, Nabhan conveys the everyday life and extraordinary perseverance of these desert people in a book that has become a contemporary classic of environmental literature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #399245 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 148 pages

Review
"A remarkably humane essay on nature and respect for it." -- Bloomsbury Review

"Offers a remarkable insight, sensitive but unsentimental, combining the sound perceptions of a scientist with ecological concerns." -- High Country News

"The humor, spice, charm, insight, and compassion with which Gary Paul Nabhan weaves his tale makes for enjoyable reading." -- Rio Grande Sun

"Virtually opens up a new universe for the reader." -- Library Journal

"Vivid writing, good pictures and a beautifully produced book. . . . Anyone ignorant of the desert should begin their cure here." -- Tucson Citizen

About the Author
Gary Paul Nabhan is Director of the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University. A former MacArthur Fellow and co-founder of Native Seed/Search, he is also the author of Gathering the Desert.

Customer Reviews

The Desert Smells Like Rain
My wife and I found it interesting how the Tohono O'odham used rainfall alone to successfully subsist in the desert. We were also fascinated with the knowledge and use of herbs to maintain their physical well-being and to ward off disease. We found some of the folk tales amusing. Having lived in the Tucson area, we found we could identify with the book. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The author did an excellent job of capturing the essence of the Tohono O'odham (Papago) culture and lifestyle.