This work surveys the arid landscapes of the American Southwest, blending travel observation, natural history, and aesthetic reflection. The author describes mountain ranges, mesas, dunes, basins and ancient sea-beds; explains wind, erosion, floods, and geological processes that shape the terrain; notes desert plants and animals and their adaptations; records optical effects of light, mirage, color, and the feeling evoked by vast emptiness; and laments human encroachment and its role in creating and degrading desert environments. Chapters alternate between close description, geological explanation, and personal impressions of beauty in a seemingly inhospitable region.