Atlas of the World's Deserts / Edition 1

by Nathaniel Harris

Overview

The Atlas of the World's Deserts examines the hostile and extreme environments that characterize deserts, and is divided into chapters that concentrate on specific aspects of a desert's geology, life forms, history, and future.

For more information including sample pages, visit the Atlas of the World's Deserts web site.

Also includes 160 color maps and photos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781579583101
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/08/2003
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	11 Years

Table of Contents

Introduction Atlas: World Map of Aridity Chapter 1. How Deserts Form Atlas: African Deserts Chapter 2. Sand, Rock, and Rubble Atlas: Asian Deserts Chapter 3: Plants of the Deserts Chapter 4: Creatures of the Desert Atlas: American Deserts Chapter 5: The Desert in History Chapter 6: The Modern Desert Atlas: Australia and the Poles Chapter 7: Wealth from the Desert Chapter 8: Spreading Deserts Glossary Bibliography Index Picture Credits

Editorial Reviews

"An attractive, up-to-date resource... Color photos, clearly drawn maps, and sidebars enrich the text. This well-researched atlas offers more than just maps... Highly recommended." — Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Best Reference Titles 2003
"An attractive book, written for the nonspecialist, that portrays nature with a wealth of simple maps, lovely photographs, and considerable basic introductory information... Both a browsing book and beginning reference book... Recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries." — Booklist/RBB
"A useful resource for students seeking either quick facts or thematic discussions... Liberally endowed with large, bright color photos, the topical sections begin with an analysis on how deserts form; close with an eye-opening look at why desertification has become a major environmental issue... Recommended..." — School Library Journal
"Provides a broad and comprehensive overview... Its layout and extensive illustrations make it especially attractive to the generalist browser and to students... Particularly suitable for public and school libraries." — The Arid Lands Newsletter
"Gorgeous color photographs, detailed maps, and clear and authoritative scientific explanations make this atlas both informative and captivating... A particular nice feature is that the geographical location and other details of each photograph are consistently provided." — SciTech Book News

'An attractive book, written for the nonspecialist, that portrays nature with a wealth of simple maps, lovely photographs, and considerable basic introductory information... Both a browsing book and beginning reference book... Recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries.'— Booklist/RBB

'Gorgeous color photographs, detailed maps, and clear and authoritative scientific explanations make this atlas both informative and captivating... A particular nice feature is that the geographical location and other details of each photograph are consistently provided.' — SciTech Book News

From the Publisher

Deserts cover more than a seventh of the earth's surface. In this colorful atlas, Harris (Mapping the World; Heritage of Scotland), a writer on history and the arts, offers detailed profiles of the deserts from all continents (e.g., Asia's Gobi Desert, Africa's Sahara Desert, and the Central Australian deserts), describing their geology, biodiversity, geography, history, and even culture. Similar in topic and treatment to the United Nations Environment Programme's World Atlas of Desertification (1997), this atlas is a solid resource for anyone. While the UN atlas is organized by sections, each divided into small subsections (e.g., "Global," "Africa," and "Desertification Studies and Issues"), Harris's work is organized into eight chapters that deal with the formation and history of deserts, combined in four chapters containing maps on the deserts of specific continents (e.g., "How Deserts Form" includes "Atlas: African Deserts"). Both atlases feature a considerable amount of text, taking up something over half of the total volume; this atlas also has more color illustrations than does the UN atlas, though it is somewhat smaller in size. Both atlases are aimed toward a general public. While smaller libraries on tight budgets already owning the UN atlas should stick with what they have, those without either one should opt for Harris's version because it is the more current. Public libraries should own both.-Mary Lynette Larsgaard, Univ. of California Lib., Santa Barbara Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-A useful resource for students seeking either quick facts or thematic discussions, this survey of our planet's drier regions alternates sections of maps and condensed specifics with more widely ranging topical chapters. The maps have an uncluttered look, as changes in elevation are denoted in large increments by slightly different shades of light brown, roadways and political boundaries are kept to a minimum, and many major natural or human-made features are indicated by numbers keyed to side notes, rather than labels. Liberally endowed with large, bright color photos, the topical sections begin with an analysis of how deserts form; close with an eye-opening look at why desertification has become a major environmental issue; and in between consider kinds of deserts, characteristic flora and fauna, natural resources, and deserts in human history. Despite a Eurocentric outlook in the historical chapters and a general lack of depth in the accounts of human cultures associated with deserts, this volume is recommended for deeper collections, after Michael Allaby's Deserts (Facts On File, 2001).-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal