Desert: The Mojave and Death Valley

by Janice Emily Bowers

Pulitzer Prize-winning landscape photographer Jack Dykinga turns his lens to the American Southwest's spectacular scenic wonders: Death Valley and the vast Mojave Desert that surrounds it. Botanist Janice Emily Bowers provides a personal text, complementing stunning views of this remarkably alive landscape.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful coffee-table book by photographer Jack Dykinga, with intelligent text by Jan Bowers, both well-known to me from my years of living in Arizona. 1999 book by Abrams, and I don't think photo reproduction has gotten much better since then. And a quality printing and binding job by Abrams, just as you would expect. My reread of a library copy that has some miles on it, but has plenty more to go. A solid job by all concerned! I'm kicking this one up to a full 5 stars. Enthusiastically recommended to fellow desert-lovers. You are likely to get some ideas for places to visit aside from the obvious ones. I've spent a lot of time in the Mojave for work and, except for summertime, it was always a pleasure to visit. Not always the greatest of accomodations, but so what? Go for it! Just have your vehicle serviced first. Preference given to a sturdy 4x4, but you can get by with a cautiously-driven Subaru or other crossover SUV. Emphasis on the "cautiously-driven"!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent photographs by Jack Dykinga and casual essays by Bowers.
Most of the photographs are of details and are not in the monumental Ansel Adams style. Lush color captured with a large format camera.
If you are a photography buff or love the desert this book should be worth adding to your library.

[Jackie Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for the photographs, thinking they would make good color studies in my sketch book. Having just read the commentary, I wish I could spend some weeks of my life observing the desert. At times it was a little poetic for my taste, but a book that can make the travels of rocks interesting (chapter 4, I believe) is a good book.

[Bookish Enchantment (Katherine Quirke) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death Valley, so much more than the Grand Canyon in my opinion. This book allowed me to bring home the unique beauty.