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The Sahara
One of a series of Time-Life books with excellent photography.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 17, 2021
Great survey that conveys the look, feel, history, and human challenge of desertification. It's an ancient issue that keeps growing more important for the world.
“Hallucinations,” Swift explains, “are thought to be due to extreme sensory deprivation.” And in the Saharan reg, that condition for illusion is met in spades. On every side, mirage hills and trees floated above the shimmering ground. The pale sky faded imperceptibly into the slate-gray landscape, erasing the skyline. All sense of distance or scale was lost. Far out on the plain, Swift saw a large tree. The party drove toward it, and it turned into a stunted bush two feet high. A strangely-shaped hill appeared on the horizon. As they approached it shrank to a rock less than a foot across. The feeling that an extra person was with them nagged at Swift's mind the whole time they remained in the Tanezrouft (the great reg of southeast Algeria).
“Hallucinations,” Swift explains, “are thought to be due to extreme sensory deprivation.” And in the Saharan reg, that condition for illusion is met in spades. On every side, mirage hills and trees floated above the shimmering ground. The pale sky faded imperceptibly into the slate-gray landscape, erasing the skyline. All sense of distance or scale was lost. Far out on the plain, Swift saw a large tree. The party drove toward it, and it turned into a stunted bush two feet high. A strangely-shaped hill appeared on the horizon. As they approached it shrank to a rock less than a foot across. The feeling that an extra person was with them nagged at Swift's mind the whole time they remained in the Tanezrouft (the great reg of southeast Algeria).
April 9, 2011
"Above all desert life teaches moderation in expectations: you hope and work for the best, but plan for the worst and are not cast down when it happens. The reward is personal freedom and self-discipline in equal proportions."
Again, I enjoyed the text as much as I enjoyed the photographs of a book of The World's Wild Places series by Time-Life books.
Again, I enjoyed the text as much as I enjoyed the photographs of a book of The World's Wild Places series by Time-Life books.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews